The Stars like the Dark
by Red Stockings
Summary: Candy learns she's been betrothed to the prince of Midnight since birth. While she struggles to come to terms with her destiny, can she learn to accept her new life before it destroys her? candyXcarrion
1. She meets Him

**Author's Note**: Ok, felt like starting something new, because, why not? It's a sort of an Alterative Universe Fic, mainly because if the 3rd book comes out, then it'll make a lot of things redundant. The jury appears to be out on how old Ricky and Don are. So as I don't know, I'm inventing ages for them.

**Summary**: Candy learns she's been betrothed to the prince of Midnight since birth. Struggling to come to terms with her destiny, can she learn to accept her new life before it destroys her?

**The Stars like the Dark**

**Chapter One: She meets Him.**

Candy looked into the mirror and turned her head side to side to view the best angle of her face. Smiling, then serious, she studied the shapes her mouth took. She had shaken off the plump roundness of a teenage girl's face, and awkwardly changing body, for a face she was happy to recognise and figure that wasn't constantly changing. Although, while her hormones had finally decided to stop playing havoc, at twenty-one, her life was still decidedly boring.

Her eyes flickered to the two boys on the carpet behind her, each a toy monster in hand, pushing them along the floor. The eldest merely trying to entertain the younger with the game, himself no longer entranced by a toy and just imagination. But, he was still child enough not to be questioning his reflection, and wondering when life would start to move in a new direction.

Her own eyes looked back at her, rimmed with smudged black, they were questioning, wondering if she'd ever know what it was like to be in love, like the girls in the storybooks she read. She ran a hand through her long dark hair and held it back from her face. She dropped it in frustration. She didn't know what she was looking for.

"Candy?" a woman called from at the bottom of the stairs. Candy always thought it strange, that even in a crowd, she could still recognise her own mother's voice better than anything in the world. "Take your brothers out for a walk."

Candy's face appeared over the banister as she peered down upon her mother from the landing. Her appalled expression didn't sway her mother's decision. Candy could see that it was useless trying to argue, but that didn't mean she had to be compliant.

"Why?" she challenged. She hadn't wanted to go out today, the weather had taken a turn for the worse.

"Because I said so," her mother replied, not having the energy for a fight. "Just do it please."

Sighing, Candy traipsed back to her room and announced the new plan, followed by orders to wrap up warm.

Outside in the chill, Candy led the way. Trailing behind her, the elder of the two brothers, Ricky ten years old, continually asked her where they were going. Ignoring him, Candy only turned her head to make sure the youngest was keeping up. His five year old legs were still short enough to make him the slowest of the three. She didn't feel like making conversation, still annoyed by the fact that she was even outside at all.

"Don's too slow," Ricky complained.

Candy sighed and stopped walking, waiting for Don to catch them up. His face was flushed with excitement, as if he believed Candy was leading them on an adventure.

They had been staying with friends on the island of Midnight for two weeks, and while they had explored most of the alleyways around the house, they had yet to venture further alone. Today Candy decided she was going to walk east, into the main town and up the main Gorgossium through-road. They had only been outside the twelfth tower once, looking up at its imposing dominance on the skyline through the strong iron railings that kept everyone out.

As they passed by busy market stalls, Candy held Don's hand to keep him from wandering. Trying not to loiter at any particular stall, Candy continued to lead the way ignoring sellers shouting their wares. However her foreign clothes from another island singled her out as someone who might easily part with their money. A man who had been showing an uninterested woman some glittery bangles, must have decided Candy looked needed something to adorn her wrist, when he jumped in front of the trio and began his sales patter.

"Young lady, my jewellery was made for you!" he said with fake flattery, grabbing Candy's hand and jamming a bangle on her wrist.

"No, I don't want one," Candy said pulling it off. She had to let go of Don in order to fight the man off. But he was clearly determined to make a sale, and draped a string of pearls around her neck.

"Really," Candy protested, handing back the bracelet then reaching for the necklace. She passed it back with more force than she had the bracelet, and gave him a look that said, _if he continued to harass her then she wouldn't remain so polite_. "I don't want it."

Already around her neck she wore a charm, one she had never removed. A small silver chain held a precious green stone set in a silver locket. The space inside the locket was empty, still waiting for pictures. She didn't know who had made her this gift, just that it had always been there. Her mother claimed not to remember, and Candy didn't dare ask her dad. Her hand touched the locket around her neck to check it was still there. She wasn't interested in any more jewellery.

Her family was not rich, but they were not poor either. She didn't know where they got their money from, or rather; she knew where they didn't get it. Her father had not worked for years. He spent his time in the pub, or slumped in front of the TV. It was a general consensus in her home to keep out of his way. Candy was often told to take her brothers out of the home in order for her mother to deal with her father's volatile behaviour.

Candy often wondered why they had to continue living with the man. It was clear that her mother was not happy, and yet she refused to leave. She had told Candy that she had made her choice to marry, and she would accept what that decision brought for her. She had also said, that Candy needed to stay in the family home, so that when the time was right, she could claim what was hers. To which Candy imagined must be the money that the family was living on, some kind of inheritance. Her thoughts never strayed near the truth.

Turning away from the jewellery seller, Candy looked for her brothers, only to find the two of them missing. Shot full of panic, Candy ran to the end of the road and looked up and down the main-street. She could see no sign of either Ricky or Don, and feeling the panic rising, she turned one way, then the other, not sure where to look. Blindly she ran up the main-street stopping only to look down alleys and into shop windows.

"Ricky!" she called as she hurried past busy shoppers. "Don!"

She received no answer, but she had gone beyond expecting one. Leaving the safety of the main-street and approaching the towers of Midnight, Candy skidded to a stop and looked around once more. They wouldn't be so stupid as to go in there, would they? Then she thought about her youngest brother, who had no sense of danger, and Ricky who wouldn't be able to turn is back on exploring. Checking that no one was watching, Candy reached the iron railings and looked inside.

Scanning the area, that was much darker than the street behind her, Candy squinted. She didn't dare call out into the darkness. She had no idea what might be lurking in the shadows. Suddenly there was a squeal and laughter, and Candy saw Don running out of the shadow, into the moonlight, and then back into the shadows. His little legs almost disappearing in the long grass.

"Don!" Candy called, hoping that he would hear her. "Don, get out of there!"

Knowing that even if he had heard, he would ignore her, thinking it was a game; Candy looked up at the high railings and wondered how she could get inside. There was no time to go back for her mother, Don could be anywhere by then.

Wrapping her hands around the freezing bars, Candy hauled herself up, reaching higher to pull herself up further. At the top she met with sharp spikes that would go right through her if she should slip. Wedging herself between two spikes, Candy looked down at the grass below and tried to wiggle forward. A noise, which she couldn't identify, like a shrieking bird, caused Candy to jump, loose her grip and fall.

Landing hard on the grass below, Candy stared up at the sky and didn't dare breathe. As the pain began to dissipate, she realised that she was still in one piece with nothing broken. Carefully sitting up, Candy felt her vision spin for a moment, but she fought it off and stood up.

Something was coming at her in the darkness, feet pounding through the grass.

"Candy! Candy," Ricky called as he ran nearer. "I lost him. I'm sorry he ran off, and I chased him here. Now I don't know where he is. I'm sorry."

Candy saw how distraught her brother was, and couldn't be angry with him. If they were caught here it wouldn't be a happy ending. She didn't know what would become of them, and she didn't want to find out.

"Will Lord Carrion kill us, if he finds us here?" Ricky asked. He was shivering with both fear and the cold.

"Of course not," Candy replied, trying to be confident, but she couldn't be sure. She thought it best to lie, rather than panic her brother further. "Come on, let's find him and get out of here."

Pushing through the tall grass, Candy and Ricky reached the spot she had last seen Don and looked around. There was no sign of him anymore.

Don was carrying a large stick through the outskirts of the forest, stopping to look at the strange bugs that were running past him in a line. Following them further around the forest, he looked up to see something fluttering on a large slab of stone a few meters ahead. His curiosity getting the best of him, Don stumbled forward and found that he had been seeing pages of a book being turned by the breeze.

Reaching his small hand out to pick up the book, Don looked up with the sense that he was not alone. A figure was standing, hidden from the moonlight, looking across the edge of the forest and out towards the tower. Snatching back his hand in fright, Don stepped back and jumped as his own foot landed on the stick he had been carrying, snapping it in half. The sudden noise made the shadowy figure turn, and his eyes catch the moonlight as he fixed his gaze on Don.

For a moment they stared at one another, before Don turned and fled with an uncontrollable scream of horror, back the way he came.

Christopher Carrion, the Lord of Midnight did not care for children. They were noisy and irrational, couldn't be bribed, and couldn't control themselves. There were many guards around the twelfth tower, and yet a child had managed to get inside. Following the boy, Carrion saw two others hurrying towards the screaming child, and took a left into the forest and into the shadows. The boy fell into the arms of an older girl and began frantically telling her what he had seen.

All three trespassers stopped and looked where the smallest was pointing, their faces full of dread. Had he really met Lord Carrion, was he coming for them? Were the guards already waiting for them? Could they still escape? Creeping through the forest, keeping in the shadows, Carrion cut off their escape. Before any of them realised, he had swept out of the shadows and had Candy in his grip.

Unable to scream, as his hand was crushing her throat, she fell where he pushed her, into the nearest tree.

"Scream, and it's the last thing you'll do," Carrion warned. He hated it when people started begging and screaming before he'd had a chance to torment them.

"Get off my sister," Ricky shouted, running towards him.

"Get back," Carrion warned in a low threatening voice. He looked at Candy and, knowing that he had terrified her into obedience, let go of her throat.

"Do what he says Ricky," Candy ordered, her voice barely a gasp. She turned her attention to the man before her. "Don't hurt them, please. It's not their fault, they didn't know."

She had no idea what she was saying. All she knew was she was standing before Christopher Carrion, the most feared man in the Abarat, and she was on her own. His eyes stared into hers, and his gaze so piercing that Candy could only stare back. She couldn't think, or move, or even breath whilst he looked at her, taking in every line of her face, and every frightened thought that showed it's self behind her eyes.

He looked down at her throat and his long fingers grazed her pale skin as he held her locket.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

Candy could feel that he attention had been drawn from her brothers, solely to her. She shot a look at Ricky, which told him to make the most of this and begin backing away.

"If you want it, you can have it. Please just let us go," Candy said hurriedly.

The touch of his cold hand on her skin was beginning to make her shake. She couldn't bear to be so close to him, this man who radiated pain and suffering.

"Answer me."

"I've always had it. It was gift to me," Candy said. Why did he care about the necklace? It wasn't a trinket, but someone like him could have surrounded himself was as many jewels as he liked. Why did her silver locket interest him?

As suddenly as he had caught her, Carrion dropped the locket and stepped back. He saw Candy's wide eyes sweep him over, starting at the ground and ending at his destroyed face. Feeling that something had changed, but not knowing what, Candy snatched her unexpected freedom, dashed to the side and held Don's hand as they ran.

Adrenaline pushed her back up the iron railings, where she jumped to the ground on the other side. The shock impact shot up her legs like fire, but she ignored it, and watched as her brothers slid through the gaps in the railings and began running back towards the market stalls.


	2. Melissa Panics

**Chapter Two: Melissa Panics**

Candy threw herself through the front door and collapsed in the hallway, leaning against the wall by a rack of coats. Don ran through the house like a wild animal, screaming for his mum, and in a panic the hosting family assembled in the hallway looking fearful.

Melissa, Candy's mother held her small son close to her, and reached out her arms for Ricky. She looked at Candy for some kind of explanation, as to why her boys had come home in hysterics. But seeing her daughter's gaze going in and out of focus, and her ghostly complexion, she realised that Candy had not fared any better.

Melissa had not been too keen on visiting Midnight, but her oldest and best friend had moved back to the hour, and she had put off the invitation long enough. Three years in fact, always claiming it was never convenient, but never confronting the truth. Finally she had had to make the journey, for fear of losing a dear friend. But even as she made the decision, she had been reluctant to take Candy. However, despite voicing her disinclination to her husband, Bill, she had lost the argument, when he had insisted Candy accompany her.

Bill's reasoning was a selfish one, looking for a profit to be made on a bargain struck long ago. He had hoped that Candy might somehow be spotted by Lord Carrion, or by one of his servants, and create some kind of interest.

"We saw him, we saw Lord Carrion!" Ricky announced once his tears were under control. He looked up at his mother with red-rimmed eyes. "We really did!" he added unless she should think he was lying.

Melissa's gaze shot back to Candy, and knew that she had been right. This visit had been a mistake. She turned to her friend and her own hesitant family and tried to read their expressions. Her friend looked concerned, but not for the same reasons as Melissa.

"Don, Ricky go with mummy's friend into the lounge," Melissa instructed pushing the boys into her friend's outstretched arms. "You're not in trouble," she said as they clung to her, reluctant to let go.

Candy waited until she was alone in the hallway with her mother before looking up. She was still feeling the effects of her shock, although the shaking was abating. But while she was calming her pounding heart, she couldn't help the sinking feeling that she felt in the bottom of her stomach as she saw her mother's horrified expression.

She knew she should never have let her brother's out of her sight. She didn't know how she would ever make this right, the ending could have been tragic, had she not had such phenomenal luck.

"I just looked away from a second, I swear!" Candy said, her voice a pitch higher in her distress. "There was this stall seller, and he was bothering me. I turned to tell him I didn't want to buy, and when I turned back they were gone."

Candy watched her mother lean against the opposite wall, her eyes unreadable.

"I tried to find them, I searched the town but Don had run to the Twelfth tower, somehow he got through the railings. I didn't know what to do, so I followed him in there. I'm so sorry."

"And Lord Carrion?" Melissa asked in a whisper.

Candy looked down at the floor as the memories so recently lived flooded back. What Candy couldn't shake from her mind was the way he had looked at her, her heart screaming danger as she first locked eyes with him. But it was only after he had spotted her necklace that he had looked at her in a different way; a questioning way, and her heart began to scream against a different type of danger. A danger she didn't yet understand.

"He caught us…" Candy said without realising she had spoken.

"What did he say to you?" Melissa asked nervously. She lifted her eyes skyward as she prayed, _please, he didn't know her. Please tell me she didn't find out this way._

"He saw my locket, he wanted to know where I got it. I told him… then… then he let me go…"

Candy didn't see the significance of this, but it seemed to resonate somewhere within her mother. Melissa's hand flew to her heart and she closed her eyes as if muttering a private prayer.

"But it's ok, we got away," Candy repeated, thinking that her mother was considering the terrible what ifs.

"We need to leave Midnight," Melissa declared. "We have to leave right away."

* * *

Candy looked out over the crashing waves as the boat cut through them on the way into the daylight. The hour of 9am came upon them quickly, and Candy had the feeling they were running like fugitives, only to be safe in the light. She didn't understand her mother's sudden determination to go home, and could only imagine that it was the fear of what could have happened to her children, that was making her long for familiar streets and faces.

The island of Qualm Ham appeared slowly on the horizon and grew with every passing second. The busy sea-port of Tazmagor welcomed them home, with its cheery buildings covered with distinctive red rooftops. Candy tried to smile at the thought of coming home, but it was blighted by the fact that she was sure her father would not welcome their return. He had not come to see them off the boat them after all.

"Come on," Melissa said struggling with Don and her bags. "We're nearly there."

Candy's father, Bill, stood in the doorway of the three story town house, watching his family dragging their bags up the street. In his hand was a half empty bottle of beer, and on his baggy sweatshirt was a stain that looked days old. Candy didn't look to him for a welcome home, but rather tried to avoid his gaze. She knew he'd be angry that his break from them all had been cut short. She also knew that her mother would have to work hard at making him understand why they had left early, in order to avoid a row.

"Kicked you out did they?" Bill asked as they reached the house. His eyes drifted to Candy, as if out of them all he suspected it to be her fault.

"Candy, help the boys unpack will you," Melissa said, once again resulting to the tried and tested method of dealing with her husband alone, with the children out of the way.

Bill was looking forward to hearing his wife's explanation; he felt a perverse pleasure in belittling her, and laughing at her opinions. Smugly he knew she'd never stand up to him, and within a few minutes she'd be in the kitchen cooking something for him. He saw her keenly watch Candy taking the boys to their rooms, before she would speak.

"She met Lord Carrion," Melissa said in a hushed voice, leaving her husband stunned.

Bill stared at her as if she was crazy, then his calculating mind fashioned her words into a profit. Suddenly the excitement showed in his eyes and he left his worried wife in the hallway and headed to the lounge. From a box that he kept locked next to his favourite chair, Bill pulled out a piece of paper. The heavy paper was drawn up in the style of a contract, signed and sealed.

"It's about time," Bill said looking over the paper.

"He really scared her Bill," Melissa said to his turned back. She didn't know how he was going to react, so she hung back from him. Not that she feared him now, he was in a good mood, but she dreaded him breaking the news to Candy.

He turned to look at her with a disdainful look, as if he couldn't care less. To him Candy was check to be cashed. He'd been bringing her up, a burden on their finances for twenty-one years, now it was time for the return he had been promised.

"She doesn't have a choice," he said without any feeling.

"It still doesn't mean anything though. She's been twenty-one for six months now, and he still hasn't contacted us. He's not interested Bill, we know this…"

"No, he'll come for her now…" Bill replied confidently.

Melissa turned away. She walked into the kitchen without realising where she was going, and began finding ingredients for a meal. She didn't dare refute Bill's prediction that Lord Carrion would now claim his bride, but she hoped he would be wrong.

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews, it's good to know there are Candy/Carrion fans out there! Although, poor Candy still doesn't know what's in store for her.


	3. News comes from Midnight

**A/N: **Thank you once again for the reviews guys, I would have liked to of written a better back story to this fic, but I have the sense of writing against time. Maybe I'm being a little optimistic in thinking book 3 will be out soon. Anyway, I thought I might as well get straight to the action before the 3rd book gives us all something new to think about.

**Chapter Three: News comes from Midnight**

Candy woke with a start, sitting up before she had registered where she was. Her hand flew to her throat where her necklace was stuck to her damp skin, and took a gasping breath. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream, still remembering the echoing sound of her own fear in her dream. Slowly she felt the initial fear leave her as she came to her senses and realised it hadn't been real.

Swinging her legs out of bed, Candy closed her eyes once more and took a deep breath before she stood up. She could still see his face behind her closed eyelids. Christopher Carrion had been following her, gaining ever closer as she hurried through a mass of trees. Her heart had been hammering so hard that she was surprised that she hadn't woken in some kind of pain. Or maybe she had? It was all falling away from her now, the visions disappearing and the waking world taking over.

Candy forced herself to ignore the temptation to try and recall it, to see again his burning eyes and haunted expression. Instead she headed to the bathroom and began to forget. Although one thing she couldn't forget was the fact that she had been dreaming about him ever since she had returned home. Nor could she shake off the way he crept into her thoughts during the day, whenever she let down her guard.

* * *

Bill was sitting in his chair, his feet stretched out in front of him propped up on a stool. His gaze was fixed on the TV, but rather than his usual expression of boredom, his eyes had gained a certain glimmer. Candy didn't know what it was, but she could see that something had changed since she had come home. For one thing, her father was being nice to her. There hadn't been any arguments for a week, any putdowns or insults. But the moment Candy had found her mother in the hallway, waiting to take her clothes shopping, she had known something was up.

Not daring to ask any questions, since Melissa seemed to be just as nervous as she was around Bill, Candy decided they must have come into some money. Although she couldn't imagine how, unless her father had been gambling again.

Candy looked at the back of Bill's head, sticking up above the back of the chair, as she edged through the lounge to the bookcase.

"What are you doing?" Bill asked in an accusing way.

"Getting a book," Candy replied automatically, eager to escape his rage. She never knew what might anger him, or when his temper would change. He didn't reply, so she snatched her book and hurried out of the room.

Another odd change in the home had been her parents' reluctance to let her out of it. She had never been allowed to do much anyway, like going out with friends and doing normal teenage things, but now it was stupid. They cross-examined her for every little journey, even taking her brothers out to buy sweets. Something was up, but Candy was clueless.

She walked into the kitchen and sat at the table opposite her mother. Melissa halted flicking through the daily paper in order to observe her daughter, but waited for Candy to speak.

"I'm bored," Candy declared. She waited for her mother to say something, but it looked like she was being ignored. After all, what could be done for boredom, other than hearing the frustrating reply of 'well find something to do.'

"Mum, if I went to the bookshop…" Candy let the words hang in the air as if posing a question. "Would there be any books on Midnight?"

Melissa froze, her eyes filled with fear, before she looked back at the paper and turned a page awkwardly. She tried to find a way of phrasing what she wanted to say, without giving anything away, and without sounding accusing. She was aware that Candy was finding their recent interest in her well-being unusual and controlling. Melissa knew that taking Candy shopping for clothes was too much, but Bill had been adamant. She needed to look like the part, if someone should stop by looking for her, and not dressed in her usual tomboy attire.

"Why would you want a book on Midnight?" Melissa asked carefully.

"Just because," Candy replied having lost interest in the subject since it seemed her mother wasn't going to let her go out.

"I don't think there is," Melissa said glad that Candy wasn't insisting on this odd question. She fixed Candy with a questioning stare, wondering whether her daughter had subconsciously picked up on something.

Candy shrugged.

"Why don't you take your brothers down to the harbour?" Melissa proposed, hoping to get Candy's mind off of Midnight.

Candy didn't need persuading, and grabbed the chance of some freedom at last and hurried upstairs to find her brothers. Melissa wandered into the lounge and looked at Bill, his beady eyes fixed on the screen. Within seconds he saw her reflection in the TV and he turned his head and flicked his gaze on her.

"Just wait," he said after seeing the distraught look on his wife's face. "He'll want her soon."

* * *

Candy held tight to Don as she walked with Ricky down to the busy harbour. On the way she allowed the boys to pet the cat that lived at the end of their road, and stop at the market stall that sold foreign boiled sweets. With a hard sweet in their mouths, Candy found the boys' moods compliant enough to direct where they walked without protest.

As they neared the harbour, someone selling newspapers from other islands caught Candy's attention. The young boy waved a paper in the air, declaring that his news from Midnight was just off the press. Candy thought this was stretching the truth a little, since it would have taken him a fair amount of time to get from the press over to their daylight island, but she wasn't about to make a fuss. News barely ever came out of Midnight, and she wasn't going to miss an opportunity to learn what everyone else was reading.

"Hey miss, want a paper from Midnight? It's headlining news!" he said before turning to serve a man that pushed passed Candy to the front. Once the man was out the way, Candy pressed forward.

"Is the news current?" she asked with interest.

"I took the first boat over here miss, no one can get news here faster than me!" the boy assured her. He offered a rolled up paper forward, knowing that he had made a sale, and Candy handed over her money.

Taking Don and Ricky to a small café, where the owner knew them upon sight, Candy let herself relax from Don watching duty.

"I'll have a milkshake, Candy," Ricky said looking over his menu. Candy didn't know why he insisted on reading what was on offer; the selection hadn't changed since she had been Ricky's age.

"Don?" Candy asked, and then watched her brother's podgy babyish finger point at the same thing on the menu.

"Alright," Candy said then turned to catch the eye of the woman behind the till. She was the same age as their mother, and had been a regular babysitter in the past.

"Hello Candy, boys, how's you mother?" the woman asked.

Candy noticed she didn't ask after her father.

"She's fine thanks."

"Good! And what can I get you?"

"Three milkshakes please," Candy replied, then looked at her brothers. "All mixed fruit, right?" the boys nodded enthusiastically, and the woman jotted the order down and walked back the counter to start making the drinks.

Knowing that the boys were currently content enough to sit reading the menus and staring at the other customers, Candy unrolled her paper and caught her breath as she saw what was frontline news.

**Lord Carrion to finally claim bride. **_Lord Carrion has declared that he will finally marry the young woman who has been betrothed to him since her birth. The news comes as a surprise to most, as it was widely believed that he would leave this tradition behind. Although most bizarrely it is supposed that the young lady in question has been eligible for marriage for some months, and yet it has taken until now for the public statement to be made. _

_Lord Carrion refused to comment further on his statement, leaving the floor free for wild speculation as to the girl's identity. It is now widely believed that she is not a current citizen of Midnight, but will be arriving on our shores by the end of this week. _

"Poor love, whoever she is," the woman said as she looked over Candy's shoulder. She put the drinks down on the table, but remained looking at the paper. "Her life will change forever now."

"Who is she?" Candy asked. "Why doesn't anyone know?"

The woman shrugged.

"I'm betting her family decided to keep it a secret, imagine growing up knowing that you'd be Queen of Midnight, without even a choice! What kind of life would that have been? Although, it'd be better than the one she'll have now."

Candy looked down at the paper. They were talking about the man she met face to face, Lord Carrion, the one that kept haunting her in her dreams. She turned her face to the window and wondered who the girl might be, whether she had known what had been awaiting her, and wished her some happiness, although it was unlikely that she'd find any now.

"Like I said, poor love," the woman muttered before walking away, to hover at another table that was discussing the same thing.

"Corr, you reckon I could get myself a young bride?" a man asked dropping the paper he was holding onto the table. Candy listened the conversation discreetly, her drink's straw in her mouth and her eyes on Don. "Just imagine that hey. Some guys have all the luck."

"She'll be young enough to be his daughter," someone else muttered. "I could be your daughter."

"It bloody isn't!" the first man declared, ready to argue.

"All the wives of rulers are young," the waitress said. "They have to be, in order to have children. It's tradition. Midnight is full of traditions. Besides, it wasn't Lord Carrion who made this contract, it was his Grandmother."

Candy listened to her friend with interest. The hour they had fled from was more interesting than she had first imagined. There was so much that she didn't know about the past, what had the grown-ups been keeping secret for so long?

"That old hag? Oh, it'll be someone young and beautiful, then, no doubt. She'll force something beautiful to endure something horrific and watch her suffer. That witch is the cause of all evil in that place, you mark my words!"

"Shh!" the waitress insisted, casting a worried glance over at Candy. "There are children here."

The man calmed at this and retuned to his paper.

"Midnight is a backwards place, it's never moved with the times. It still uses magic to heal the sick, rather than the panacea! We can't judge them like we do our modern hours."

The discussion ended with that statement, and everyone left the subject behind. The sensational news had been contemplated enough, and nothing more could be said until the next instalment of the story was revealed.

"Can we go now?" Ricky asked sitting in front of an empty glass.

Candy looked at her own and noticed it was nearly gone also. Her mind had been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed she had been drinking it. She looked at Don and decided it was best to get moving before he became restless.

"Alright," Candy said pushing her chair back and standing. "Wait there while I pay."

* * *

Candy arrived home at the tail-end of the group, the newspaper in hand, ready to share the story with her mother. However both her parents greeted her, as they moved into the hallway at the sound of the door. Her mother's face was distressed, trails of tears were running down her cheeks, but Bill was grinning manically. His eyes swept over her as if he was wondering what she was worth.

"What's going on?" Candy asked in a shaky voice.

Don and Ricky missing the tension, bounded upstairs, pushing one another as they engaged in an argument over the remaining sweets.

"Candy come and sit down," Melissa said taking a step back so that Candy could walk by her. Doing as instructed, Candy headed to the lounge. From the look on her mother's face, she wasn't going to argue.

"Candy you are going to Midnight," Bill said unable to hide the joy in his voice. "At last he wants you to join him, and I'll get the money I was promised."

Candy looked to her mother. What was he talking about?

"Candy I'm so sorry, we only kept this from you to protect you," Melissa said, unable to stop her tears. Her eyes drifted downwards and she caught sight of the paper.

Candy followed her frightened gaze then she understood. She heard nothing of her mother's sobbed apologies; everything was drowned out by the roar of her own blood pulsing in her ears and the fretfully fast beating of her heart.

"You will be married to Lord Carrion as agreed. There is nothing you can do about it," Bill said, still grinning with excitement.

Candy stood in silence and held up the paper so that both Bill and Melissa could see it.

"I am the girl…" she said with growing understanding. "This girl…"

"I'm so sorry," Melissa said behind her hands. Bill gave her a warning look.

This was the moment he had been waiting for all of Candy's life, when he would finally get the money he was entitled to upon her wedding day. He had kept her out of trouble and away from boys, always knowing who she would be one day. Although he had begun to doubt when no news came from Midnight as it came close to her twenty-first birthday. Sending her to Midnight had been the greatest achievement of his life.

"I wont go," Candy said dropping the paper. "You can't make me!"

Storming past her parents she ran up the stairs to her room in hysteria. She couldn't think, couldn't breath and once inside her room she felt her vision grow black and she stumbled down onto her knees and lay on the ground to stop the sickening feeling of spinning.


	4. The Wormwood Arrives

**A/N: **Once again thank you for the reviews everyone, it means a lot! As for Bill… he thinks he's on track for a merry time. He should probably watch out.

**Chapter Four: The Wormwood Arrives**

Candy crawled forward blindly until she reached her bed, and cracked her eyes open just enough to climb up under the covers and hide beneath them. At once a sense of safety overcame her and she stopped fighting and began crying. After a few minutes Candy became aware of how exhausted her distress was making her, her eyes stung and her head hurt from being so tense. But despite the discomfort, her body wouldn't stop forming tears.

Melissa waited outside the room, every now and then raising her hand to knock on the door, and then losing her nerve. She was afraid of what might happen when she'd have to explain. She prayed that she would find the right things to say, and not cause Candy any further anguish. She didn't hold much hope, since she had never managed to find the right words before now, always intending to prepare Candy for the news and explain it gently. But she had been too slow, ridiculously leaving it to Bill, with his insensitive manner. No she didn't have a choice but to talk, and Candy deserved to know the truth.

"She'll come round, she always does," Bill said from the bottom of the stairs.

His callous tone of voice made something snap in Melissa, and she appeared at the top of the stairs, towering over him, staring down.

"She isn't sulking Bill. She's just found out we've been lying to her all her life. That, and she'll have to leave to be married to a man she has nightmares about. This won't be OK!"

Bill ignored her and walked into the lounge, leaving the hysterical woman to it. Melissa never raised her voice to him, and he didn't know how to handle this new woman. So he did the only thing he was good at, walking away and leaving the problem behind him.

Candy reached across to the table beside her bed, and pulled a tissue from the brightly patterned box. Her tears had subsided, leaving her feeling empty and devoid of all emotion. In a word, she felt numb. As if nothing further could touch her, nothing could be worse than the news she had just heard.

Running though her head was the conversation she had overheard and the article in the paper. It had to be some kind of joke, something her father had invented to torture her with. But then, why would her mother join in his sick game? Why would her face be so distraught, as if she was telling the truth?

Staring at the door, but seeing nothing, Candy heard her mother knocking and slowly the door opened. Melissa peered around it to be met with Candy's blank unblinking stare.

"Candy?" she asked unsure. Maybe this shock had done more damage than she could ever have anticipated. Candy's empty stare was the look of a traumatised prisoner. "You alright?" Even to her own ears the words sounded feeble and absurd.

Candy was willing to bet that she would never be 'alright' ever again. The newspaper had said she was to arrive at the end of the week, which probably meant she would have to leave tomorrow. Suddenly she turned over and stared at the window instead, wondering how she could even entertain the idea of leaving, let alone wonder when.

"I'm so sorry Candy," Melissa said sitting next to her daughter on the bed. She felt Candy shift away from her as if she couldn't bear to be touched.

"Stop saying sorry," Candy replied bitterly. "Stop trying to make me say it's OK. It's not OK. You deserve to be sorry."

Melissa bit her tongue. She had no right to reply, no right to anything anymore. She had agreed to Bill's plan all those years ago, she'd given up her rights as a mother the day she signed the deal. Candy would answer to a husband now, a husband she neither wanted nor cared for. Her life was in the hands of someone who had the means to make it as miserable as possible.

"You've lied to me my whole life," Candy said bitterly.

Melissa touched Candy's turned back, and felt her flinch. Feeling that her misery was being invaded, Candy moved further away and then climbed off the other side of the bed. She stood with her back to the window and her face in darkness.

"I'm glad I'm leaving," she said, resentfully trying to upset her mother with her words. "I couldn't spend another minute in this house with you."

"Candy that isn't fair," Melissa said unable to handle her daughter's rejection in silence. Had she felt less she might have been able to leave candy to cry all her tears in silence and spare her own feelings, but she had never wanted this day to be one of pain. When she had agreed to betroth her daughter to the Prince of Midnight, she had always imagined that her future daughter would be happy to accept. But Candy had never been the kind of girl to be impressed by the thought of being a princess, always too independent, and never prepared to take orders. By the time she realised it had been a mistake, it had been too late.

"I wasn't supposed to be like this," Melissa tried to explain. "All my life I wanted a man that would look after me. Provide a home for my children and me, pay the bills. Instead I ended up with a man who does nothing but cause me pain. You'll never have to scrape together a living, or worry how you'll put food on the table. You'll be taken care of forever."

"I'll have the same rights as a prisoner," Candy replied not buying Melissa's pathetic idea of what a woman should aim for. She had always wanted to be independent, working for her own living, not having to depend on a man for handouts. It had always frustrated her that her mother refused to leave Bill, instead insisting on staying in an unhappy home. Her only reasoning? Because she was married.

Having never witnessed a happy marriage, Candy was sceptical that anything of the kind could exist. As far as she was concerned, not only did her future husband strike fear into her very heart, but the ominous chains of marriage matched him horror for horror.

"I'll pack right now shall I?" Candy asked spitefully, yanking open her wardrobe and pulling down her clothes.

Melissa stood dumbstruck as Candy stuffed her clothes and belongings into a rucksack. Eventually after the seams threatened to split on the bag, Candy pulled on a pair of walking boots and shrugged her heavy coat on. Zipping herself together, she pushed past her mother and stomped heavily down the stairs.

The noise had brought Bill back out of the lounge and he stood in the hallway, between Candy and the front door.

"Where are you going?" he asked threateningly. For a moment Candy hesitated. She had never purposely antagonised him before, but she was feeling reckless.

"I'm not going to Midnight, that's for damn sure."

Trying to push past him like she had her mother, Candy felt him grab her arm and hold her back. He was stronger than her, and she lost her footing and fell into the wall, the corner of a picture frame cutting into her above her eye.

"Bill!" Melissa cried hurrying down the stairs to distract his attention.

Stunned for a moment, candy reached up a hand and touched the cut above her eye. It ran just above the end of her right eyebrow.

"Damn it!" Bill swore. "You _are_ going to Midnight, even if I have to drag you there myself!"

* * *

Candy woke the following morning to find that there were unfamiliar voices in her home. Sitting up carefully, she raised her fingers to gently touch her wound. There was a dull ache as she pressed the torn skin and as she frowned she found the expression only compounded the pain.

Her argument had been for nothing, since Bill had been determined to have his own way and send her to Midnight. He had taken great delight in explaining to her exactly how and when she was going to travel. Surprisingly Candy found she liked the idea of leaving today better than tomorrow, it was better to face her doom today than delay it, knowing it was only looming closer with every second.

Ignoring the voices, she dressed as usual, determined not to appear to have made any effort. If her show of defiance could only now be measured on the petty scale, then so be it. Trudging down the stairs she found her two brothers at the bottom, their toys scattered around them. Ricky looked up at her with a hard stare and then turned back to his toys ignoring her. Candy guessed he must have been told she was leaving, and didn't know who to direct his anger at.

In the lounge she found her solemn mother, her ecstatic father and two plainly dressed women. One was elderly with a slight stoop, who gave her a smile which held far too many teeth for such a small person. The other appeared to be similar to Candy in age, with scraped back blonde hair and green eyes, but she didn't smile. If anything she avoided Candy's gaze. Both women bobbed a curtsy to her after it was established by Bill that it was indeed candy Quackenbush that had entered the room.

"My Lady," the old woman greeted. "We will be your companions in Midnight. My name is Mrs Minow, and this is Peta."

Peta dropped down into a further curtsy at the mention of her name. Candy was about to tell them not to keep showing such reverence, but since they were taking it so seriously, she didn't want to offend them.

"We will travel now, if this agreeable to you?" Mrs Minow asked.

Candy didn't know what would happen if she disagreed. She didn't know if they thought she was a willing traveller, or a hostage. But regardless, there was no refusing. Bill was giving her a murderous look and since these two odd people had arrived, it seemed Candy's last hope of this all being an elaborate joke had failed.

"I need help with my bags," Candy said in a small voice.

No one moved, so Candy decided that companions didn't carry bags, and she walked out of the room to fetch them herself.

"You wont need to bring your clothes, we have clothes already for you," Peta said making Candy jump. She hadn't realised she had been followed.

"I don't get to choose my clothes?" Candy asked surprised.

"You can choose from three dresses," Peta replied in the same straightforward manner. "You can change on the ship."

Candy stared at her, and under her gaze the blonde girl lost her confidence. Sinking down into a hurried curtsy she began apologising.

"I'm so sorry My Lady, I didn't mean to tell you what to do. I just meant that we only brought three dresses. It's my fault, I should of taken more. It's such an honour to have been chosen, to be trained as your ladies maid Miss, please don't dismiss me. I will not make the mistake again."

Stunned, Candy was unable to reply, and was prevented from doing so with the arrival of the old woman. At this Peta bowed her head and followed the old woman's instructions of taking the bags outside, still convinced that she had angered her new mistress and would be soon out of a job.

"Please look after my girl," Melissa begged of the old woman as she hugged Candy.

Trying to ignore the impulse to wrap her arms around her mother and hide in her embrace was the hardest of goodbyes. Seeing Ricky and Don's confused and upset faces was even worse. But she had made up her mind that only Bill would accompany her to Midnight. She found she felt no disappointment when she looked at him. He'd never loved her, and she didn't love him. Her mother had betrayed her, Bill was simply cashing in.

* * *

The Royal ship of Midnight, the Wormwood was waiting in the harbour. Around it was a mass of people all wondering why it had stopped at this hour. Amid the buzz was the speculation that Midnight's bride was either already on board, travelling to her new home, or she was one of their own number.

A few people muttered as the old woman pushed past the crowds, in order to reach the ship, but no one looked at Candy. She realised that they had wanted her to look dressed down, ordinary and inconspicuous to escape the crush, and her small show of defiance had played into their hands.

For a strange moment Candy had the urge to shout out that it was her they were all wondering about. It was she, the nobody walking the gangplank onto the deck, that was to be the new Princess of Midnight. For a second she almost felt angry that no one knew, and then she ducked her head and remembered that she didn't want anyone to know.

She had two hopes left now, two ways of escape. One, that Lord Carrion, upon seeing her again would change his mind and send her back, or second she could convince him that she'd be a terrible wife and he had best choose someone else.

"Get a move on girl," Bill said as Candy loitered on the deck, reluctant to take any further steps. It irritated Bill more than Candy could ever realise to see her fingers playing with the precious charm around her neck. It was a symbol of a world to which he had glimpsed for his future, and was now coming true.

"There will be more where that came from," he said looking at the necklace.

Suddenly Candy froze, and her hands dropped from her necklace. Bill's flippant comment pulled down, and destroyed another mystery. The necklace that she had always worn, loved, and refused to remove had been a gift of promise from Midnight.

"It's because he saw this," she whispered in shock, to no one but herself. "He wouldn't have known me but for the necklace…"

This revelation threw new light on her situation. Had she never met Lord Carrion, never gone to Midnight, never climbed the fence; he would never have known her face. He'd have left her be. His gaze had changed; she could see him before her now. The way he had looked at her when he'd thought her a trespasser, and the way he had let her go after he'd seen the necklace. He'd known the necklace, because it had been his gift to her, so long ago.

It was her fault that he'd remembered her. She'd barged into his life and he'd tried to chase her out of it. He'd liked her face, she understood now his altered gaze. He'd decided to call in what he was owed, after ignoring her so long, to something in him, she'd appealed. Candy came to realise that she'd been chosen not for the betrothal, but for more simple reason, with a shudder. As the gangplank was taken away, Candy knew she'd underestimated her fear.


	5. Familiar Look of Fear

**A/N:** Kill Bill? Love to! But no promises…. I hope that you're all getting the answers to the questions you're asking. If not, keep on asking and I'll try to sneak the answers into the chapters. Thank you for the reviews guys, you're all giving me lots of inspiration/motivation to keep tapping out the chapters!

**Chapter Five** – Familiar Look of fear

Candy felt like a prisoner, with every route of escape blocked. The sailors busied themselves with the rigging of the sails and amongst them soldiers guarded the vessel from any potential attacks. As far she could tell these men working for Lord Carrion, had no idea who they were taking back to their master, either that, or future princesses didn't warrant much admiration.

Candy supposed that this was a small mercy; at least it meant she could walk upon the deck without people continually bowing and scraping. Being ignored by the sailors was a stark contrast to the welcome she received below decks; every time she entered her room both the old lady and Peta would stand and curtsy. Having been allowed to roam the ship along with all the other passengers, Candy was acutely aware that time was running out. Soon the old woman would be making her get changed, and everyone aboard would know her identity.

Having made the women get up and curtsy three times, as she hurried in and out of her room for a scarf, a quick drink of tea and a band to tie back her hair, Candy decided she couldn't keep them waiting on her and had to let them get on with what they had been ordered to do.

Pushing open the door, Candy waited for them both to stand and curtsy before she spoke.

"OK, I'm ready now… what do you want me to do?"

Mrs Minow noticed that her young charge's voice was dull, as if she was simply doing something because she couldn't escape it. But it wasn't in her power to diverge from the plan, she had a task to complete, and so did Candy. Together they were all trapped in events that were far and beyond their control.

"Come and sit down my lady," Mrs Minow said pulling out a chair by the dressing table. "Peta fetch some hot water."

Candy did as she was told, sitting at the table and when the water was brought, washed her face as instructed and allowed them to fuss. Her comfortable clothes were taken away and she was given a dressing gown and shown into a small room.

"Here," Peta said handing over a box. "Change in here and then we'll help with the dress."

"Change what?" Candy asked confused.

Peta looked at her uncomfortably, as if she was begging Candy not to make her give details. Seeing that she wasn't going to get a further explanation, Candy opened the box, and gazed at the content with horror.

"I have to change my underwear too?"

"Don't you like them? It's lace from Yzil, very expensive…"

"_Why_ do I have to change?" Candy asked feeling a lump rising in her throat, and her words coming out sounding strangled.

"Oh! No, it's not for that… at least I don't think so…. I mean…. You're not married yet are you? I mean…. There is protocol and all…."

Peta talked her way into silence and noticed than none of her words had done anything to alleviate the horrified look on Candy's face.

""Well, you must have considered it?" she asked with slight frustration. What kind of bride agreed to marry without turning her mind to the wedding night? Many a woman had married without love, she wasn't the only one, but they must have all thought about it? Right? Peta wasn't sure; the prospects of a marriage for her were pretty low. But being elevated to lady's maid had also increased her social standing, perhaps now she would be of interest to someone. That's if, she still had a job when she got to Midnight, she was doing nothing but upsetting her mistress so far.

Candy had considered it, but not in much depth. Truth was she didn't dare. How could she be expected to love a man that inspired nothing in her but fear? The idea made her feel lost, and completely out of control. All she could wonder was, how would she keep herself from crying out with fear if he so much as touched her? He would see her terror of him, and he would hate her for it.

"He will not want me," Candy said sadly, pulling the silk and lace from the box. "He will be disgusted by my fear of him."

Looking up she caught her reflection in the small round window. She hardly recognised the pale reflection staring back at her. She'd never seen her face so pale, or her eyes so wide.

"Then you will have to pretend. Like so many women before you have pretended."

Candy looked down at the box and then back up to her reflection.

"Get me another colour," she said handing the box back. "I wont wear black… I don't dare."

If she pretended confidence, would she trick herself? Pretended grace, humility and accepted her fate willingly, would she not be happier than if she tried to fight? A husband that believed her happy to be his wife was better than a husband that could see into her soul and find only fear and hate.

The dress Candy finally chose was peach, with a tight bodice and long flowing skirt. The material was soft, and immediately she felt glad of the constricting corset she had chosen, which Peta had pulled as tight as she dared. The corset felt like armour, under such a flimsy piece of material.

As soon as her costume was on and her make-up like stage paint, Candy found a sense of confidence in the knowledge that she was pretending. It wasn't real if she pretended. As if it was happening to someone else, she stood in front of the mirror and turned to look at different angles of her reflection.

"You look beautiful," Mrs Minow said with a kindly smile.

Candy saw Peta give her a small smile also. She didn't want to say that she thought it was wasted. Smoothing down the front of the dress, Candy took a deep breath.

"You wont leave me, will you? When I get there, you'll stay with me?" she asked turning to face them.

"Of course dear," Mrs Minow said soothingly. "Peta will be with you whenever you wish, and I shall be supervising your household."

The sound of a household was strangely unnerving. Candy hadn't even considered the idea that the Towers in Midnight might run like any other large home. Immediately she was glad she wasn't expected to deal with it.

"Good," Candy said returning to her reflection, and ignoring the latest revelation. "Because I am going to need a friend," she added looking at Peta, and seeing the grateful look in the blonde girl's eye.

* * *

Bill Quackenbush was strolling around the top deck, getting in the way of the sailors and looking with interest at the imposing towers of Midnight. While the Wormwood sailed past the main harbour and continued round a secluded port, prohibited to the public.

Disappointed that he wasn't going to get to walk through a crowd, each clambering for a good view, and wondering who he was. He felt annoyed that they were going to be smuggled in round the back, without a grand entrance. Although, since he didn't know what was going to happen from here on in, Bill felt unable to make his complaints known.

He had never met with Christopher Carrion; it was the grandmother he had dealt with when he had agreed Candy's betrothal. She had been the one that had traced their ancestry, and found that they were the last decadences of an ancient and noble family of Midnight. Mater Motley had proposed the plan to marry her grandson to a descendant of noble blood.

As the ship docked, and the anchors were thrown down into the bed of the sea, the sailors and soldiers stood to attention, awaiting orders. The captain of the ship stepped down onto the deck from the wheel, and inspected his crew. His dark beady eyes swept over them, looking for faults. He seemed satisfied as he prowled amongst them. The passengers aboard, who had come onto the deck looking to disembark, stood confused, not knowing what was happening. Bill stood with them with a smug smile. These were important people, or they would never have been allowed upon the ship.

Eventually he saw Candy emerge from the below decks, and a stunned silence fell upon all on board. Only those busy at work fixing the gangplank continued to move. The captain walked towards her and dropped to bended knee at her feet.

"Offer him your hand," Mrs Minow whispered to Candy as they all stood in silence, and Candy stood frightened and self-conscious.

The scarred old sea captain kissed Candy's hand, scratching her skin with his moustache. Candy gave him a shaky smile.

"My Lady Midnight," he said humbly. "It has been my honour to have you aboard the ship."

Standing, he took three steps back and saluted. Like one entity, all the sailors and soldiers copied his salute. The passengers on the ship had quickly worked out who she was, and had dropped down into bows and curtsies. Only Bill remained staring blindly forward, as if he could barely recognise her.

For a moment a look of fear crossed his face. It was the fear of a man who had always dominated his family, and who had suddenly realised that he was loosing the ability to control his daughter. For a moment, Candy had looked like a real princess, with power, whose very presence sent those around her to their knees. Then she looked up at him, and he saw the frightened look in her eye that he recognised, and he knew that she was still under his rule.


	6. Unexpected Kindness

**Chapter Six – **Unexpected kindness

Candy was surprised when she didn't meet Christopher Carrion immediately. After psyching herself up upon the ship, she felt her body shaking with unused adrenaline as she climbed into the strange motorised carriage. The driver was expressionless, with clipped movements, saluting, and barely moving more than necessary.

"This is a Commexo City invention," Peta commented as she followed Candy. "Pixler brought them to Midnight personally."

They both waited for the old woman to climb in also, but to Candy's surprise she simply waved the carriage onwards. Sitting back into the cushioned seat with a feeling of nausea, Candy closed her eyes and tried to call up a familiar mantra. "It'll be over soon," was something she frequently held in mind at the dentist, but it was the only comforting thought she could manage.

"There is another of these carriages following us," Peta said looking out the small back window. "It must be your dad."

Candy didn't turn around to look. She didn't care whether her father was following or not. It wasn't as if he was needed. He'd done what he'd threatened to do; taken her to Midnight. It wasn't as if she could escape, it was too late for that. Others were sweeping her along, all following the carefully laid out plan. It seemed only seconds since they had started moving, and already they were travelling under a large portcullis and heading up a torch lit road.

"I never been to the front door," Peta whispered. "Awesome, huh?"

Candy looked sideways at Peta's excited face, and wished that she could be feeling as optimistic. Although seeing her cheerfulness helped Candy not to slip into despair. If she wasn't here in such miserable circumstances, she might be looking about with interest also.

As the carriage rounded a corner and the entrance to the tower came into view, Candy saw that there was a gathering of people standing outside and waiting for her arrival. As soon as she spotted them, a small man that had been standing apart from the rest walked back into the building.

"Ok, feeling confident?" Peta asked, with as encouraging a smile as she could manage.

"No," Candy replied, her hands twisting in her lap.

"You'll do great. When Lord Carrion greets you, you should offer him your hand like you did the sea captain, and curtsy as he kisses it. Then you'll go inside."

Taking another deep breath, Candy nodded slowly.

"Thank you," she said as the carriage slowed. She was sure that Peta wasn't required to say anything to her at all, so her helpful tips of what to expect came from kindness.

Coming to a stop, Candy saw through the window that Christopher Carrion had walked out of the tower and was standing with the small man that Candy had noticed before. Dropping her eyes as the door of the carriage was opened, Candy held the driver's offered hand as she stood on the top step.

Holding her dress up from her feet, Candy carefully climbed down the small steps and only let her dress fall back into place once her feet were back on solid ground. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father was also leaving the other carriage, along with Mrs Minow. She felt Peta step down behind her, and knew that she couldn't remain standing like a bashful idiot in front of all these harsh faced people.

Looking up with pretend confidence, she met Carrion's eyes and tried to keep her gaze steady. At this invitation he began walking towards her, and following his lead Candy took a shaky step to meet him. She could see that her father had frozen to the spot; racked with the fear she had been feeling ever since she had learnt of her fate. Was he regretting his decision, now that he had seen the man he was selling his daughter to? Candy doubted it, but she felt a streak of pleasure to find him afraid.

"My Lord, may I present Miss Candy Quackenbush," Mrs Minow said, her voice clear enough for all present to hear.

Holding her hand out for Carrion, and watching his skeletal face changing its shadows with the flicker of the torches, she dropped down into a queenly curtsy as he bent to kiss her fingers. She could see by darting her eyes sideways, that this was not the reaction her father had been expecting. His mouth was slightly slack, as if he didn't know what to do. A smile played on her lips, and she knew it would look like a wicked thought. She knew Carrion would see it, but she didn't know what he would read it as.

"Welcome to Midnight, Candy," Carrion said as he studied her face.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Candy tried her best to keep her eyes on his face, fighting her own instincts to look down and blush.

"Thank you," she replied quietly. As if it wasn't enough that he was staring at her, but all those around her seemed to think they had the right to cast judgment also. She could see in their eyes that they were all sizing her up. She knew she must look pretty pathetic stood next to Carrion.

"And Mr Bill Quackenbush," Mrs Minow added when there was pause to do so.

At this Carrion turned to see a scruffy man, dressed in uncomfortable clothes, standing awkwardly in the background. As Bill bowed with a insecure stance, Carrion decided it was cold man that allowed his daughter to stand in front of him alone. It was as if he was offering Candy up like a lamb to the slaughter, in the return that he would be spared.

Annoyed by the man's apparent lack of backbone, Carrion didn't address any words to him. Men like that were not worth entertaining as equals. Unlike his daughter, who stood with her chin determinedly lifted despite her obvious panic.

Bill was following at a respectable distance, as if he didn't dare get too close. The frighteningly elegant Candy from the Wormwood was back, gliding through the hallways with the Prince of Midnight, and Bill didn't know how to knock her confidence back. How could she have gone from screaming and crying at the thought of being Princess Midnight, to gracefully accepting fate?

Unbeknownst to Bill, Candy wasn't as calm as she looked. Her hands were clammy, and her heart was beating wildly. She tried her best to smile at those appearing to gaze at her along the way, but she could barely breathe.

"You," Carrion said abruptly as they reached the third floor. The man he addressed stepped forward and bowed. "Show Mr Quackenbush to his room."

Candy had always thought her last name was amusing, especially when other people said it. But coming from Carrion, it managed to sound just as imposing as everything else he said.

It seemed that Bill left them reluctantly, desperate to know what would happen next. Candy found that she glad he wouldn't get to know.

Candy didn't appear at all alarmed that she would be without her father, and Carrion wondered why she had chosen to bring him with her at all. He had clearly stipulated in his letter to her parents that she was welcome to bring any companions that she wished. He had expected the whole family to accompany her, or at very least her mother. Already she was proving a mystery.

Holding a door open for her, Candy stepped past him into a large room with a wide fireplace. The heat from the fire warmed her immediately and helped her to relax. Looking around, she wasn't sure what the room was supposed to be. At one end was a small table and pair of carved wooden chairs, bookcases and at the other end a piano.

Peta allowed Carrion to walk in behind Candy, before speaking.

"Will you be needing me Sir?"

Carrion faced her as if he had forgotten she was there.

"No, wait outside."

Peta nodded and closed the door.

Carrion remained by the door and watched Candy. She seemed to be in some sort of daze, either that or she was only woman he had ever met that found it within her power to ignore him. Most were so desperate to be obliging, or too frightened to do anything at all, that they soon became irritating. For Christopher Carrion, being ignored was a new experience.

Candy found herself drawn to the bookcases with a curiosity, running her fingers over the expensively binded volumes. Books were expensive, and she had never seen so many in one room before. A volume called, 'illustrated plants of the Abarat' caught her interest. Pulling it out from its place, she flipped the pages, until she looked up and found Carrion staring at her. Blushing, she put the book back.

"These will be your rooms," he said watching the pink stain of Candy's cheeks creep down the side of her neck.

"Oh," she said, turning back to the bookcase, then not knowing what to do next, turned and walked to the window. The lights of the town shone in the distance, and next to them brighter lights flashed and spun. "There is a fairground?" she asked with interest. "This wasn't here before."

"A circus from Pyon," Carrion explained as he came to stand next to her. He saw the first real spark of life in her eyes as she gazed at the bright lights, and found that he liked the happy look in her eye just as much as the frightened wide eyes.

"I though you hated Commexo City," Candy said still staring at the lights. Suddenly her imagination that had transported her out of the room, to the fair, came back to reality with a missed beat of her heart. What was she doing talking to him like this? She was being so rude, staring out of the window, ignoring his gift of beautiful rooms.

Candy saw Carrion's reflection smirk and met his eyes in the reflection.

"I let them stay for you," he said, his smirk growing bigger the more Candy blushed.

"Thank you for the rooms," Candy said in a rush, desperate to get away from this conversation, that was turning a little personal. She didn't want to imagine him trying to do things to please her. It made the situation worse, that he might be making an effort in the marriage, while she gave false smiles and wished herself away.

"You're welcome," he replied returning to the more formal voice she had heard before.

Good Candy thought, keep on ordering me, shout at me, be cruel, just please don't be kind to me. She looked back out of the window, and stared at the lights. The silence began to grown uncomfortable and Candy darted her eyes sideways to see that Carrion was also staring out the window. His expression was unreadable, but he seemed far away in his own thoughts. However as soon as he saw Candy looking at him, he stepped back, bowed to her and left.

Candy barely had time to turn on the spot to see him go, before Peta hurried into the room looking worried. As soon as she saw Candy, slightly surprised but still composed by the window, a relieved look crossed her face, and she backed out of the room.

"No, don't leave," Candy said. Peta closed the door on the curious world outside and walked into the centre of the room, looking around curiously.

"You really need to furnish this place better, it doesn't suit you at all," she said as she copied Candy's path to the bookcase and round to the window.

"I'm allowed to do that? Make the room how I like?" Candy asked. She didn't know how she'd go about accomplishing this. She didn't even know whom she would have to ask in order to do anything. It wasn't as if she could just wander about doing what she liked, she guessed there would be rules and what Peta had called 'protocols'.

"Where has Lord Carrion gone?" Candy asked. She was starting to get used to asking straightforward questions. Peta was here to answer them, and had a habit of answering them in the same blunt manner herself. Candy was beginning to wonder whether it was a trait of the citizens of Midnight, even Lord Carrion was to the point. Although Candy hadn't expected anything different, in fact if truth be told she hadn't expected as much talk at all. They had almost had a conversation, which was something she had never imagined happening. She had expected to be too stunned and frightened to speak, but she had managed to survive.

"I don't know," Peta replied.

"Will he come back?"

"He might," Peta said trying to read Candy's expression. "If you don't want him to, I could say you're feeling ill…"

Candy caught herself wondering if she could hide away from him with an excuse he'd see through. She couldn't see him allowing her to insult him by ignoring him in that way. She couldn't afford to offend him, when she was in such a vulnerable position.

"No, it's OK. I doubt he'll come back anyway, I was pretty boring."

Peta didn't reply, but smiled. Candy didn't know what Peta thought about her statement, maybe she agreed? Feeling her confidence take a further knock, Candy decided to explore her rooms.

**

* * *

**

A/N:

Thank you all once again for the interest and support for this fic. I hope that you liked this chapter! 


	7. Finding Composure

**A/N:** Thank you again guys! Whilst I'm on a roll I thought I'd get the updates written and uploaded as quick as I can, before the strike of the dreaded writer's block.

**Finding Composure**

Candy had spent the better half of the afternoon in her room, slowly unpacking her scarce belongings into the large wardrobe and drawers. The room was plain with pale wooden furniture, and it seemed that it had been done this way on purpose, so that there was nothing that stood out. Maybe Peta had been right and she would be allowed to decorate how she liked. The thought of decorating, once again made the situation into reality, and she once again remembered that this would be her home.

Mrs Minow had arrived to offer her services, but Candy had sent her home. After such a long journey the poor woman looked shattered, and the last thing Candy wanted was her collapsing with exhaustion. Besides, she had gotten used to Peta's company, and was beginning to relax and feel like herself again.

Feeling her stomach rumble, Candy realised there had been a distinct lack of food so far. Now that her nervousness was wearing off she was beginning to feel hungry. Opening the door to her room, she found Peta outside along with two other young girls. Candy could guess that the girls were housekeeping maids, from their dress and aprons. She was surprised to find herself surrounded by so many people her own age, smiling people at that; it wasn't what she had been expecting.

"My Lady," Peta said, "These are your chamber maids, Suzette and Lola."

Candy nodded, but wasn't all too sure what she was expected to do with two lady's maids, let alone two further servants. She couldn't imagine herself to give out many orders, other than wanting something to eat perhaps… or a change of clothes. Which she could probably manage to do for herself anyway, once she found the kitchen.

"Why are you all so young?" she asked, after the thought kept playing on her mind.

She watched Peta look nervously at the two girls, as if this was a criticism. Feeling bad that she had made them all worry, Candy felt she needed to explain herself.

"It's just, I was expecting loads of old people, you know…. or scary people. Not people like me…" she said.

"I appointed them," Peta said as if she expected to once again have gotten it all wrong for her new mistress. "I thought you would be more comfortable with people of your own age. And, Lola is my sister, and Suzette is my friend. I knew that I could trust them both."

"That makes sense, she looks just like you," Candy said looking between Peta and Lola. Both with honest faces, and long blonde hair, they looked at each other as if they couldn't see it themselves.

"So, what do I do with chamber maids?"

"Well, whatever you like really," Peta replied.

"We'll make your bed, take your laundry, tidy," Suzette listed, as if reeling off a summary of her duties. She could already tell that Peta had been right in her report of their new mistress, that she wasn't confident with her new position, and was having a hard time adjusting to her new status. But then, all in the room had been thrown together out of nowhere, and it was only through Peta being loyal to her friends, that she and Lola had even been looked at.

"We do a lot a fetching and carrying," Lola added. "You tell Peta what you want, then she tells us how it is to be done. At least I think so. Lord Carrion has loads of servants, their like spy network central. But we've never had a mistress to serve before, so I guess we'll have to make it up."

Candy realised that Peta had managed, either by a lot of consideration, or by coincidence to appoint young people who wouldn't look down upon a princess that didn't have a clue how to be royal. Having a group of people around her that were so grateful to be there that they didn't think the whole thing was a total shambles, took the pressure off. If they all didn't know how it was meant to go, then it didn't matter if it went wrong.

"Min is the most experienced of us here, she knows how to give orders to the rest of the staff. But here you can have things how you like," Peta said with an encouraging smile. She liked Candy, she was nothing like she had been expecting, but she liked her anyway. It had been the general consensus in the tower that the girl chosen would be someone highborn with an equally high opinion of herself, someone who would enjoy the power and wealth that came with being Princess of Midnight. Peta couldn't work out what motivated Candy, but saw why her master would have chosen to finally claim her.

"Min?" Candy asked.

"I mean, Mrs Minow," Peta clarified. "You can call her Min, we all do."

Candy nodded, but found she had run out of questions. Feeling hungry again, and uncomfortable in her dress, Candy wondered whether she could call in Peta's favour of announcing she was unwell and going to bed.

"Do you think I could change and eat now?" Candy asked.

"Of course you can! You don't need to ask!" Peta said, taking Candy over to a chair.

Two maids, excited by their first commands, waited to be instructed by Peta.

"Suzette bring in the trunk. And Lola bring something from the kitchens, just a snack, mistress will dine with Lord Carrion later."

Candy suddenly felt her confidence come crashing down. In the rooms she had now made her own, she had felt safe, and had forgotten what lay in wait for her outside. Stupidly she had expected the day to be over, and hadn't been expecting to meet with Lord Carrion again until tomorrow. She assumed she had been left here to her own devices, but she supposed that would be just too kind.

"Oh no, not again. Peta I don't think I can," Candy mumbled once the others were out of the room. Although she liked the look of the other maids, she wasn't sure she could trust them like she felt she could trust Peta. She was now the only friend Candy had, and as was beginning to regret not letting her mother accompany her, now that she had calmed down and was realising she was totally alone here.

"Of course you can!" Peta replied confidently.

"No, it took all my guts just to walk in here without fainting," Candy explained. "I can't take anymore today."

Peta looked at her apologetically, but there was nothing she could do. Besides Candy would be married to Lord Carrion soon, so she needed to get used to being around him, and quickly.

"You wont be with him alone, there have been a lot of business men here today, so you probably wont even have to talk…"

"Peta that's even worse!" Candy exclaimed. "They'll all be staring at me!"

"Well, of course they will. The whole Abarat is desperate to meet you, and the sooner you get it over with, the sooner your life can be your own again. Besides, what is the point of having a young beautiful wife if you don't show her off? So…" Peta said with a grin, despite Candy's sceptical face. "Why don't you dress yourself up and knock them all out?"

Candy's eyes darted sideways and she bit her lip as she thought. Maybe Peta was right. Maybe she should give them all something to look at, since they would all be staring anyway. She would rather the Abarat think she was a woman to survive Midnight, than a little girl afraid of her own shadow.

Not that for a minute did she believe she was beautiful, but with the right kind of clothes she might be able to trick them into thinking she was. Pretending had worked pretty well so far, since she had been able to speak in Lord Carrion's presence. If she kept on pretending, then she might surprise herself about what else she could do.

"Alright, but you'll have to help me," Candy said with renewed steely determination.

Peta grinned over Candy's head, at Suzette who had brought in the trunk of gowns. She was looking forward to dressing Candy, and watching the shy girl see herself transform in the mirror. She had already seen the dresses, made years ago for when there would one day be a Princess.

* * *

Candy invited her new maids and Peta to share her food, and was glad to hear them talk between themselves, for a moment not bowing and serving her. For the moment they were just four girls together. But the moment didn't last long, as soon Candy was once again being shown into a bathroom, and a hot bath was run for her.

Feeling tired, and wishing she could close her eyes for a quick nap, Candy relaxed in the water and enjoyed her bath alone and in silence. She only reawakened at the sound of someone knocking on the door and telling her that it was time to get ready. Too tired to protest, Candy climbed out and towelled herself off before wrapping a fresh towel around herself and going back out into her bedroom.

Stunned by the sight of so much beautiful material spread about, and the sparkling jewels that were arranged by her dressing table. Some of the dresses were so ostentatious that she didn't know what kind of occasion they would be for. However her eyes were drawn to a plainer dress, in burgundy, which when Lola held it up Candy could see was cut in an empire line, and gathered for shape under the bust.

"This would be perfect," Lola said, as she realised Candy had already made her mind up about it. There would be no endless trying on of dresses today, to which Lola was sadly disappointed.

Yes, Candy thought, it wasn't a dress that screamed look at me, but it was enough to grab attention at dinner. She'd even gotten used to wearing the complicated underwear Mrs Minow, or rather 'Min', and Peta had forced her into, and was expecting to receive another similar kind of corset for this dress. However this time she was surprised again, to be handed something much more simple. She would be sans corset, and it was odd to be wearing just a bra after being tied up for so long.

Next came the jewellery.

"You can chose whatever you like, but these are actually from Lord Carrion," Peta said holding up a velvet lined box which held the hugest diamonds Candy had ever seen.

"Well, I better wear those then," Candy said, not taking her eyes of them. She had never dreamed she'd own anything like it.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Peta replied taking the diamonds from the box and offering to fix them on Candy.

* * *

Carrion was pacing his room back and forth; his butler had given up trying to follow him with the cuff-links and was now standing out of the way. He knew much better than to interrupt Carrion when he was thinking. For a moment he didn't even realise that his master had stopped and was holding out his hands, so that he could fix the cuff-links.

"That will be all," Carrion said, watching the butler bow and leave.

Walking to the window he took a deep breath. He hadn't banked upon himself ever feeling uncomfortable about the decision of bringing Candy to Midnight. He rarely ever regretted his decisions, and nor did he regret this one; only he realised he hadn't thought it through, as well as he thought he had. He had someone in the tower that he could command, but not in the same way as he was used to. He had it in his power to make her life miserable, and yet she had the same power over him. This was a balance he was unused to, having to think of someone else's well-being other than his own.

He had given a message to Candy's new ladies maid, a young faced blonde girl who had been apprenticed to old Mrs Minow. He'd told her to invite Candy to dinner, but had also stipulated she could refuse. After her long journey he could understand, therefore he now had no idea whether he was to expect her or not. However he had no idea that Peta had decided to omit the part about Candy being allowed to refuse when she had relayed the messages, believing that it would be better in the long run for her mistress to show herself more willing than she really felt.

* * *

Candy was following Peta down the hallway, her attention caught by the many paintings and carvings in the woodwork. It would take a lifetime to study them all, and she was surprised to see so much beauty in such a dark and imposing place. As she followed the blonde girl, watching her hair bounce up and down in her ponytail, Candy tried a smile and found that she was no longer shaking with fear at the prospect of meeting once again with Lord Carrion.

The worst that could happen was unlikely, therefore, what was there to be worried about? She was here now, it was too late to go back, and besides, so far she had met with nothing that warranted such a fearful reaction anyway.

Carrion stalked through the hallways also, encountering no one. Even if there had been people here seconds before, they had all darted out of the way, disappearing into the background. As he reached the grand staircase, he saw Candy stepping out onto the opposite hallway and walking towards him. He saw the blonde maid leading the way, but she soon dropped back and let Candy pass.

Not faltering for a moment, Candy crossed the distance between them and curtsied before him. The diamonds in her ears sparkled at him, and reflected little beams of light onto her pale skin. As she stood he noticed the diamonds around her neck also, and reached his hand forward to touch them. Holding a diamond between his fingers, he watched as she blushed, and her dark eyelashes swept down to her cheek. Her shy reaction to his touch made him smile, and he felt proud to have such a girl by his side, who wore jewels with as much ease as the scruffy jeans he had first saw her in.

"Come," he said holding his arm out for her.

Candy held her dress up as she walked down the stairs, the task distracting her from Carrion's gaze. She felt the silky material slipping through her grip, and being so light it felt as if she was wearing air. She knew that Carrion approved, she could tell by his face as she had walked towards him. She didn't know whether she desired that reaction or not, to be sure it was nice to be admired by a soon to be husband, but did she really want to be encouraging him?


	8. Alone Together

**A/N**: Thank you everyone!

**Alone Together**

A woman with curled blonde hair, elaborately arranged on top of her head, gave Candy a sweeping look, the kind that only women can master, the kind that displays certain distain for what they are seeing. Candy knew that she had no friend in this woman, and was glad when Carrion led her past her and towards the to other end of the long table. She passed her father along the way, and noticed that he was determinedly not looking at her. He looked insignificantly small amongst the company.

Having being bowed to since she had arrived, Candy noticed that some were bowing lower than others. Some merely nodded their heads respectfully, but did not acknowledge her any further. The blonde haughty woman looked like she was sucking a lemon as she was forced to show respect.

As she blushed before them all, Candy noticed she was clinging to Carrion as if he would save her life, and quickly lightened her grip. He was the last person she expected to help her through this difficult experience, and yet she was surprised to find herself seated beside him, rather than at the other end of the table. At least she wouldn't be forced to make conversation with any of these people, if she was sat away from them.

Candy felt every pair of eyes in the room fixed on her, looking over every inch of her being, all wondering why she had been chosen over so many far more eligible girls. However she was glad to find that the woman beside her was smiling rather than casting judgement.

It seemed no one quite knew what to say, until Carrion directly questioned a man further down the table. Immediately all the men at the dinner began debating, but the conversation and its meaning was beyond Candy. Still struggling to relax, she sat rigid and nervously sipping her glass of wine.

"My name is Kate," the woman on her left said, turning her back on the rest of the company and facing Candy. "My husband is lobbying for a reformation in the education system on Midnight," she explained.

Candy nodded, but found she was unable to use the cue the woman was giving her, to ask questions about the information offered. Her eyes darted to Carrion, to see what he was doing, but he wasn't looking her way.

"Don't worry about them," Kate said looking down the table, where the blonde woman was craning her neck to peer at Candy. "They're like that with every outsider. Apparently the high society of Midnight is like some sort of club, invitation only. As me and my husband quickly learnt. We're upstarts apparently."

"I must be trash then," Candy muttered darkly.

"Are you kidding? You got the VIP pass, so to speak… see that blonde woman down there," Kate said, inclining her head slightly towards the woman Candy had already identified as an enemy.

"Yes," Candy confirmed hesitantly, not knowing where this was going.

"She's been after Lord Carrion for years," Kate explained, with all the enthusiasm of an experienced gossiper. "Her brother, the man on her left is exchequer of Midnight, utter genius of course. Odd how he's so clever and she's such an idiot."

Candy looked at the man beside the blonde, and considered his sharp face. Even if Kate had not pointed him out as being clever, Candy would have still pegged him for an academic. He had a quick thinking look about him. She couldn't believe for a moment that the blonde woman was stupid, she looked cunning and not to be underestimated.

"You don't like her then?" Candy asked.

"Not a bit. For a moment I thought she might succeed, you know, with Prince Carrion… but then you came along. Boy, what a shock that was."

"Tell me about it," Candy said, emptying her glass. She had barely touched her food, simply pushed it about her plate. With her glass continually topped up, and her stomach empty, Candy felt the wine going to her head. Perhaps if she hadn't of been so nervous, she would have refrained from more. But nervously she continued to sip, just for something to do.

"You didn't know you were engaged?" Kate asked, her face aghast.

Candy felt excited about telling her story to someone, especially to someone who was clearly shocked. It was clear people wanted to know how it had all come about, and so far all anyone could do was guess.

"No, I didn't know anything about it. My dad told me a few days ago."

"And you were happy about it?" Kate asked.

Candy's expression must have answered for her, as she turned away. Kate didn't address any more questions to her, and as Candy lifted her drink once again, she felt someone gently touch her arm, and push the glass back down.

Turning her head to face them, but feeling everything move in slow motion, in a dizzying spin, she saw Carrion staring at her, his hand on hers. Unable to move, she stared back at him, for the first time brave enough to look him in the eye without blushing.

"Eat something," he said quietly, not letting anyone read what he was saying.

Carrion liked to watch those he was in business with eat. Seeing people's manners and true natures after a few glasses of wine told him more than when they were in business mode. Only those that had something interesting to say were invited, those that didn't spook easily or cower before him. It was also interesting to watch who didn't like whom, and what underhand deals might be going on. Keeping enemies close was something Carrion believed in strongly.

Candy did as she was ordered and began spooning her desert into her mouth, but the wine had dulled her taste buds, and she had no idea what she was eating anymore. After a while the small amount of food made the world a little clearer, and she was aware that people were leaving the table for another room.

Standing up shakily, she stood awkwardly before Carrion came back for her. Having left the table temporarily to speak to someone privately, he noticed that Candy was looking uncomfortably alone at the table, standing at her place and watching others leave. As he walked near her, he watched her expression become somewhat relieved and she reached for his hand without hesitation.

"Come with me," Carrion said walking her away from the table and through to the next room where people were almost reclining in chairs or studying the collections of paintings and sculptures.

It was only when Carrion stopped walking, as a small man stepped forward to offer his best wishes and congratulations, that Candy felt herself sway. Carrion let go if her hand and held her around the waist instead, pulling her close to his side to keep her steady. Her hand fumbled around the back of him, as she tried to hold onto him without grabbing onto his shirt. She only now noticed that he'd removed the jacket he had been wearing, and wondered if the room might actually be warm and it wasn't just her feeling flushed.

Candy smiled and tried to concentrate on what the well-wishing man was saying, but all she could feel was the coldness of Carrion's hand spreading into her skin, through the thinness of the dress. Were his hands always so cold? Suddenly she remembered the old saying, "cold hands, warm heart." She wondered whether that was true.

Candy didn't know what Carrion said to get rid of the man, but he stepped back looking pleased with himself, and let them continue. Carrion led Candy out through some double doors and onto a balcony. As the cold air hit her, Candy immediately felt better, breathing in deeply and knowing that since the evening had begun, this was the first time that she wasn't being stared at. She had grown accustomed to the way Carrion looked at her, and it was far better being alone with him that in a room full of staring people.

"I'm sorry," Candy said, staring out into the night and down on the town in the distance. "I guess I had bit too much wine."

She looked sideways to see how he was taking this, was he angry, disappointed, or indifferent? She couldn't tell, but she knew that she felt stupid. He didn't reply, just continued to look at her.

He could see her skin on her arms form little bumps as the Midnight breeze blew across her, and watched her shiver. She rubbed at her own arms, trying to warm herself.

"Why are we out here?" Candy asked. "Wont your guests miss you? I could go back to my room, I'd be out of your way there."

Candy noticed that some how she had made Carrion smile, and knowing that it was at something she had said, felt slightly incensed. Why was he laughing at her? She had been pretty stupid, not on purpose, but she'd already apologised.

"What is funny?" she demanded, turning to face him. Her little face took on a new expression, her brows furrowed and her hands went to her hips. Square on, she stared up at him.

Normally Carrion didn't feel the need to explain himself to anyone, expect perhaps to his grandmother. But his future wife inspired in him a need to be kind. Her usually wide eyes always looked at him as if he had the answers to all, as if she didn't dare speak before him, and yet couldn't help herself from blurting out random comments. He hadn't expected to like her company quite as much as he did. Not knowing how she was going to react, and finding her surprising in so many respects, kept him interested.

He found he rather liked the way she was demanding an answer from him, her hands on her hips, and an annoyed expression on her face. Her question made him smile, since it was refreshingly ignorant.

"I believe you are the only one who has ever hinted that my presence might be missed. I believe in general, most regard it a blessing when I leave."

Clearly this idea was rather amusing to him, however Candy didn't agree. Who was happy that people didn't like them? Personally Candy thought it would be pretty rude if people were invited somewhere, and didn't care where the host went.

"That isn't nice," she muttered, losing her nerve and looking away. "They don't like me either," she added, as if to dull the blow of being unpopular.

She felt slightly sorry that this was Carrion's home, and yet he was the one hiding on the balcony. Then the idea of this man hiding for anyone seemed absurd, and Candy realised that he'd probably given them privacy for her benefit rather than his own. From the corner of her eye she saw Kate walk pass the doorway, almost hovering for a second to look outside then moving on.

"They did not expect you to be so beautiful. I know what they were thinking," Carrion said losing his smile, and looking at her again with the same intense gaze he always used.

Candy held her breath as he placed his hands either side of her face, gently turning her face towards him. Candy knew he was trying to look at her, but she kept her gaze firmly downwards.

"They think I don't deserve you."

"It's just a dress and diamonds," Candy replied uncomfortably. "It isn't real."

"You were not wearing either when I saw you first," Carrion said, knowing that his attempts to make her look at him were failing. "And you were still beautiful."

Candy shook her head, feeling his touch on her adjust as she moved.

"It's not true…" she whispered.

"I say it is."

Candy clung to his words, feeling as if she had been waiting to hear them all her life. Knowing her eyes were filling with tears, Candy knew she couldn't hide them from him, not when he was still holding her face. As a tear fell onto her cheek, she couldn't help the small sob that followed it.

"Thank you," she whispered, finally lifting her eyes to show him more tears. Embarrassed, she moved toward him to hold him, knowing that with her face pressed to his chest he'd no longer see tears.

Her tears fell with the bittersweet knowledge that she had been wishing all her life that someone would want her, and take her away from her sorry existence. Just why did it have to be Christopher Carrion?


	9. A spy in the Midst

**Chapter Nine: A spy in the midst**

_The Midnight Post_

_Candy Quackenbush, although the talk of Midnight, may not be entirely enthusiastic about the attention. Little more that a schoolgirl, Candy exudes all the prettiness that a young girl should, but unable to hide a bashful blush, as she stands before her future subjects. _

_Clinging to the arm of her betrothed, it is clear that this young girl is not comfortable with the life fate has dealt her. Indeed, it was with a heavy heart that she confessed she had not long known of her engagement, and when it was revealed, had looked upon it with disgust. _

_This reporters source, tells us that Miss Quackenbush has already begun to make enemies, singling out Miss Miranda DeWinters (sister to Midnight's exchequer) as a potential rival. Miss DeWinter's relationship with Prince Carrion has been suspect for some years, and some suggest she may have been the better match. _

_Lacking in confidence, and unable to partake in a conversation, so very clearly beyond her limited intelligence, Miss Quackenbush resolved to pass the evening away by determinedly getting drunk. Barely able to stand at the end of the dinner, she was ushered out of sight by Lord Carrion. My source adds, "had that been my fiancé, I would have been mortified. What a let down. I give this marriage a month."_

Candy stared at the paper as if someone had just slapped her, nothing could have prepared her for such a story. She was struggling enough without the world knowing all her shortcomings. The picture that had been painted of her judged her harshly.

"What the fricking hell is this crap?" Candy yelled once she had recovered from her moment of stunned silence. "Who wrote this?"

Lola, who was hovering behind Peta looked around nervously. She didn't know how her sister had had the nerve to even bring this to their mistress' attention, let alone stand there calmly while she read it. Now she was furious, and Lola wished she had never volunteered to walk with Candy at all. They were supposed to be exploring the gardens, but so far had barely made it ten feet from the tower.

"Just some journalist no ones ever heard of before," Peta replied steadily. She hadn't wanted to show Candy the paper, but had known that if she didn't, someone else would. Candy needed to be prepared; she didn't need to find out about this in front of an audience. "Trying to make a name for himself."

Candy threw the paper on the floor in a rage, and stomped on it with her heavy boot.

"That what I think about him!"

"Mistress, it's not the journalist you should worry about, it's the person that leaked the story. Whoever it was… they were at the dinner…"

This would be a hard lesson learned by Candy, not to trust so easily. Suddenly she realised that what had been written in the paper, although not true, had in someway been mentioned at the dinner table. But the only person she had spoken to had been…

"Kate," Candy said behind gritted teeth.

"What a total bitch," Lola added, earning herself a warning look from Peta. Immediately she stepped back and kept her thoughts to herself. But Candy was nodding.

"Yeah, she is! I didn't say anything bad, I didn't say what they wrote. I wasn't disgusted… oh no, he's going to read this; he'll think it's true! He'll think I'm a stupid idiot, who wont let him near another woman, and who is an alcoholic!"

Lola thought Candy had managed to summarise the main points of the article in a nutshell, but it clearly wasn't the time to be making jokes, since she was close to hysterical.

"He won't think that," Peta said, trying to calm Candy down. Although, who was she to say Candy wasn't right? The press printed horrible things all the time, but if Carrion had had any doubts, all he might of needed to get rid of Candy might be on the front page. Never mind if it was true or not, he could say what he liked, use it as evidence against her. The paper would clearly support his choice, and others would follow.

"Where is he? I have to find him, right now!" Candy said, turning and heading back to the tower. "Then I'll kill Kate."

"Hang on, hang on," Peta said, hurrying after Candy. "You don't know for sure it was Kate."

"Yes I do, it was her alright. She was only one I spoke to. She's going to regret this… her husband is lobbying for something right? Well he can forget it!" Stopping in her tracks to take a deep and steadying breath, Candy tried to control her building anger. She had been scared and lonely at that gathering, and she'd been taken advantaged of because she had been too trusting of a friendly face.

"He's trying to make life better for kids," Peta reminded her quietly. She knew who Kate was; she was the wife of one of Lord Carrion's latest pocket politicians. They came from a small town on the edge of Midnight, and had been hanging about in the city for months. The bill for education reform had been under decision for a long while, and was common public knowledge.

"Oh yeah," Candy replied, "damn it!"

"Perhaps you should let Lord Carrion deal with it," Peta suggested tentatively. Sensing that Candy was considering this, and had appeared to have calmed down somewhat. "Lola, will you take this to Min?" Peta said holding out some sort of list for her to take.

Knowing that she was being subtly dismissed from their company, she accepted her charge reluctantly and wandered back to the tower slowly. As she looked back she saw that Candy was rubbing her bare arms, and staring at her shoes.

"What should I do?" Candy asked once they were alone. She didn't need to explain herself to Peta, or try to keep up pretence. She had already told the blonde girl more than she'd be able to talk herself out of, if Carrion should ever find out.

Looking around to make sure no one was nearby, Peta took the crook of Candy's elbow and walked her to the edge of the walled garden, at least no one would be able to sneak up on them with their backs to a wall.

"I have permission to speak plainly?" Peta checked.

Candy nodded.

"Please do."

Peta's eyes darted back to the tower before she dared to speak.

"Miss, you are acting as if this article is full of falsehoods. I know that there are lies printed, but at the bottom of it is the truth. You didn't look on your marriage favourably, and it was a shock to you. And of course you do not want a rival for Lord Carrion's affections, especially since your marriage is pre-contracted and not out of love. As his wife you should be safe in his affections, but a rival threatens this… but if you want to leave… this could be your ticket out of here," as Peta finished speaking, she couldn't tell what her mistress was thinking. She had never pictured herself as a scheming type of person, but she'd soon found through this job, that her thoughts shifted sideways and around problems.

If Candy wanted to go home, all she needed to do was play up to the poor portrait of herself painted in the paper. Carrion would soon see that his future bride was unsuitable. However, since her arrival, Candy had displayed contradictory behaviour, and Peta found that although she might be good at planning a route of escape, she wasn't able to read her mistress. For all her worries and fears, Candy appeared to have no problems being Lord Carrion's company.

"I won't leave because of this!" Candy exclaimed outraged. "They can't chase me out. This is my home now."

"You want to stay then?" Peta asked.

"Yes… I do now…" Candy mumbled. Suddenly she felt embarrassed, she wasn't sure she was comfortable with anyone knowing that she was having doubts about her dislike of her lot. She still might not have come to terms with her new life, but she wasn't going to leave for a pathetic reason. Besides, the alternative was going back to her father, and she wasn't sure if that was any better.

"At least, it's not that bad…" Candy concluded.

Peta nodded and didn't press the subject any further. It wasn't any of her business, but she couldn't give Candy good advice if she didn't know what she was thinking.

"Then I suggest you wait for Lord Carrion to make the first move. Then you'll know whether he believes the lies, or you."

Candy nodded. After her initial anger, she knew she wasn't brave enough to confront him about it, or deny the defamation.

"Besides, you'll going to have more trials than this to get through…" Peta said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… you haven't even met the grandmother yet…"

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews everyone, I'm supposed to be writing my essays but decided to take a timeout tonight!


	10. Lola was Mistaken

**A/N**: I hope this wont cause any confusion, but there had been a time jump of a few days between the last chapter and this one. Thank you everyone for the responses!!

**Lola was Mistaken**

Candy sat without the lights on, her back resting against the chest of drawers, and her head tilted back, staring at the ceiling. Days without a word from Carrion had caused all sorts of thoughts to come to her. Her frustration came at not knowing his reaction to the supposedly truthful reporting in the paper, and she was angry with herself for failing to find the courage to seek him out.

Surely she could not have failed to offend him, accepting his proposal with her fingers crossed behind her back for luck. She didn't blame him for ignoring her, probably while he decided what to do with her. Although Candy had taken great pains to hide her fear and unwillingness at her betrothal, she knew everything she had tricked him into believing could be undone with a single look, a grimace… or a harsh opinion in a paper.

She knew without a doubt that as it would shame her to be rejected now, publicly and without means to defend herself, it would be doubly worse for Carrion to admit he'd made a mistake.

"He won't see me now," Candy muttered causing Lola to jump.

The maid, who had been trying to light the fire in the room, with difficulty due to the darkness, stopped what she was doing. She had almost forgotten Candy was in the room with her, and had certainly not expected to be spoken to.

"Who Miss?" Lola asked, knowing that it was a pointless question, but could think of nothing else to say. With the fire now sparked into life, and growing with every second, Lola saw Candy's illuminated face and realised that she had been crying.

Wiping at her eyes, knowing that she was no longer hidden in the dark, Candy looked away. As much as she liked Lola, Candy wished Peta hadn't decided to take the day off. Without her, Candy realised how much she relied upon her advice and help.

"Who do you think?" Candy muttered, pushing herself up from the floor and walking to the window. The fair was still shining in the dark, and the Ferris wheel was still turning. She wondered if it was at all possible to sneak away and climb into one of its seats and be taken up into the sky. No one had stopped her when she had wanted to walk in the gardens, what if she just kept walking?

Lola didn't know what to say. Standing hopelessly in the middle of the room, staring at Candy's turned back, she wished she knew a little more about the world. She couldn't understand why someone, who had everything, could be so unhappy. Didn't Candy realise that she was only good thing to happen in their lives, since forever? Everything could be made anew now, but the girl with the power to do it was staring miserably out a little travelling fair.

"Why have you been sitting in the dark?" Lola asked quietly.

"To get used to it," Candy replied, turning to look at the girl with the questioning gaze. "I shall be fine now, you can go."

Recognising a dismissal, Lola had no choice to obey, although she could tell that the last thing Candy really wanted was to be alone. But she was here without friends, and could hardly spend her day talking to people who were there to serve her. The idea to fetch Candy's father came to Lola as she closed the door on her unhappy mistress. Surely he could help?

With a childish belief that all families got along with each other, like her own family, Lola went to find Mr Quackenbush.

* * *

Lighting up another cigar, Bill helped himself to another measure of fine whiskey and propped his legs up on the desk before him. He had been provided with separate rooms to conduct his business in, but it was clear to any observer that a man like Bill had no need for such apartments. Having never composed a letter in his life, the expensive stationary served only as decoration in a play of his importance. The few days that he had spent, ordering servants around and making demands, had elevated his belief of his own superiority. He was the future father-in-law to the Lord of Midnight, and that was not something to be treated lightly. Bill was determined to take advantage of his new power, and when a young maid came nervously into the room to speak to him, he regarded her through a haze of smoke.

In what he believed was a gracious manner, he invited her to speak. But to make it quick, as he was very busy, and wouldn't waste his time with children.

"Sir," Lola addressed him with a curtsy, as now befitted his position. "I have come to bring you to my mistress. She is deeply distressed."

Bill rolled his eyes.

"What is it now?" he snapped. "Is he making her do something she doesn't like? Well she'll have to learn to like it."

Lola frowned at his words, but believed she had misjudged the meaning. Perhaps he was having a bad day, and had been pestered by many people already. But believing at she was doing the right thing, Lola continued.

"No. Since the article in the paper, Mistress has not spoken to Lord Carrion. She believes he will give her up, and she'll be sent home. Sir if you could just re-assure her…"

"Send her home?" Bill repeated dumbstruck. What had been going on? He'd taken his eye off the ball for one moment, and the girl had managed to mess everything up. There was no way he was taking Candy home with him, if she found herself without a home here, then she had no home anywhere.

Lola jumped as Bill sprung to his feet and stormed past her. Hurrying behind him, it was only the sound of his heavy footsteps that caused Lola to realise she'd made a mistake. Bill wasn't going to his daughter to comfort her, but to confront her.

"Wait, Sir," Lola called, tugging at Bill's sleeve to make him slow his pace.

"Let go of me," Bill shouted, shaking the girl off. "Do you know how hard I've worked to bring this about? I wont have her ruin it!"

Stunned, Lola faltered and stopped in the middle of the corridor, watching Mr Quackenbush continue his menacing march. Turning, Lola raced in the opposite direction, yelling as she did so.

* * *

Candy had left the safety of her bedroom, to sit in her parlour room, to await the next event in her life. The book she was holding fell to the floor as the door was flung open and her father burst in upon her.

"Dad!" Candy exclaimed in shock, backing up as soon as she saw he was in a rage. "What's the matter?"

"The matter?" Bill asked in a low voice. "The matter is, I've heard you've already managed to anger Lord Carrion. Well that didn't take long did it?"

"No, dad," Candy protested, her eyes measuring the distance between him and her, and her and the door. "It wasn't like that. Who told you this anyway?"

"Your maid," he said with disgust. "At least someone is honest around here. Did you think you could keep something like this from me?"

"No, I…"

"That it wouldn't matter, that I wouldn't mind?"

Bill took a step forward, and Candy ran for the safety of her room, slamming the door behind her. She heard him hammering on the door, still shouting through the wood.

* * *

Lola skidded on the polished wood floor and she cut through the dining room on the way to Lord Carrion's apartments. On the way she pushed past many other people awaiting an audience, and received a multitude of insults and angry comments about queue-jumpers.

"Lord Carrion!" she shouted as she rattled the door handle of his office. Finding that the door was locked, she pounded her hand on the wood.

"What do you think you are doing?" someone asked, attempting to pull her away from the door. "Come on, you don't want to do this."

The boy that was warning her away gently was someone Lola had often seen at a distance. She wasn't sure what his role or position was, but he was always with Lord Carrion. The boy was probably one of his many spies, but with his mop of dark curly hair, and hansom face, he looked out of place.

"I have to speak to Lord Carrion, it's urgent. He has to help, it's about my mistress," Lola said, fighting against the boy's gentle hands to get back to the door. Hitting her hand against the wood once more, she stumbled as it gave way beneath her hand, and Lord Carrion stood before her.

"Sir you need to come quickly, Candy, my mistress…" Lola struggled to find the words, being both breathless with running, and frightened before him. She had run to find him without thinking, but she was taking a big chance. If he chose to disregard her, she knew she'd be in a lot of trouble.

Striding past her, Carrion didn't need to hear anymore. Just one look at her frantic and distressed state told him that she was sincere. He couldn't imagine what could have happened. He had been trying to give the girl some space. He imagined that she would more likely to stay if he left her alone; the last thing he wanted was to scare her.

As he walked away, Lola looked into the room he had left, and saw Miranda DeWinters looking annoyed. Scowling back at her, Lola followed Lord Carrion.

* * *

Candy clamped her hands over her ears as her father continued to shout at her. Feeling the tears stinging behind her skewed up eyes, she tried to ignore the hurtful tirade. Although she'd heard it all before, how she disappointed him, how she was no daughter of his, in this new surrounding it seemed to hurt all the more deeply. She'd believed that taking Lord Carrion's hand, and accepting the life he was offering her, that she had escaped her father. But nothing had changed; he could still make her cry.

"Don't think you will be welcomed home by me and your mother. I'm warning you Candy, if we lose this, you'll be out on the streets!"

As soon as he had finished shouting, Bill realised that he was no longer in the room alone. Turning to confront the intruder, he found Lord Carrion holding the door open for him, in a clear invitation that he should leave. Bill wasn't sure how much Carrion had heard, or what he thought had happened. Bill didn't stay to explain himself; he took the hint, and bowed on his way out of the door.

Carrion could hear Candy crying behind the door. Gently he knocked, he felt cautious about disturbing her. Hearing movement, he waited for the door to be opened.

"Go away," Candy replied, her voice sounding muffled as if she was face down in her pillows.

"Candy?"

The voice calling her wasn't her father, and confused Candy sat up and stared at the door. Slowly she shuffled to the end of the bed, and walked the short distance to open the door. Knowing that she looked a state, with red rings around her eyes, no make-up, and her hair messily tied back. Even her clothes looked defeated, and crumpled, Candy wished she had chosen something smarter than the light blue flannel tracksuit she was wearing.

"What has happened?" he asked.

Candy dropped her gaze. How could she tell him? If he sent her father away, then she truly would be here alone. And although her father had no comforting words for her, he was the only tie she had had to what she had left behind her. So she kept her complaints to herself.

"Nothing," Candy replied. "Nothing is the matter."

"We had better talk," Carrion said after a pause. "Come to me later."


	11. The Midnight Climate

**A/N: **Thank you everyone for the reviews. I would like to draw you attention to the new Abarat section of ffnet, find it under the 'books' tab. Although it's a little empty, I don't think many people know it's there.. :(

**The Midnight Climate**

By the time Carrion had returned to his office, most of the people waiting to see him had gone. Probably deciding that waiting around was getting them nowhere, and deciding to try again tomorrow. Used to seeing the corridor filled with people, Carrion it odd to walk through without being bothered. However the space wasn't completely vacant, since Miranda DeWinters was sitting alone by the window. It looked as through she had been ushered out of his office, but had gone no further. Carrion looked at her briefly, but had no desire to listen to anymore of her incessant talking. Her arms were folded, and her long legs crossed. She turned her face away from him, with a confidence that said she knew he'd look at her, but she was clearly put out. Her act may have worked on a man who didn't know her better, but Carrion knew she was only pretending to be affronted. If he ordered her back into his room she'd come running. He could feel her peering at him as he walked into his office, but rather than invite her in, he slammed the door in her face.

The boy working hard in the office, shuffling papers on Carrion's desk, looked up. His eyes were empty of any fear of his master, and nodded in greeting. He pushed some of his wavy dark hair out of his eyes, and continued to sort the papers. It was not his job to do so, but he disliked mess and disorder of any kind.

"How'd you get rid of her?" Carrion asked, walking to a cupboard and pulling out a bottle and some glasses. The boy recognised this a sign that the day's work was at an end, and filed the last of the papers for tomorrow.

"DeWinters?" the boy asked with a lack of sympathy. "Just told her to get out."

Carrion felt himself smirk at the image that conjured in his head. He could see her stomping out of the room, flicking her blonde hair around, with her nose stuck in the air.

"Letheo, have I not told you to be polite?" Carrion asked, watching the boy scowl.

"She gets on my nerves and she was in my way, so she had to leave," Letheo replied as if it was fact.

He'd always disliked the blonde woman; she was kind that treated people cruelly in order to get what she wanted. He wondered if it was this ruthless quality that Carrion liked about her, since she trampled on anything in her way. Letheo supposed she had been in here complaining about what his master's betrothed had reportedly said about her. He hated that kind of back-stabbing point scoring, and already knew he'd ally himself with Candy Quackenbush rather than DeWinters, if it ever came down to it. He hadn't met Mistress Quackenbush as of yet, but he was willing to bet she wouldn't look at him like a piece of scum.

Letheo wasn't the only one with the gall to speak his mind before Carrion, but unlike most it wasn't because he had something to prove, more that he had little to lose. But even he knew to keep his opinions about DeWinters to himself. Nevertheless, Letheo knew that he was useful, a good spy, and a loyal servant, and more importantly, he hadn't been replaced. Unlike the maids, who appeared briefly, and then disappeared again into nothing. The girl that had run to Lord Carrion for her mistress was still on his mind. Her face was new, fresh and sweet, out of place here, just like her mistress.

"There are new maids in service," Letheo said knowing Carrion would not misunderstand him.

Carrion sipped at the burning liquid in the glass. Pretty maids didn't seem to last long in his service. Quickly they were found by the eager young men of his army, or the lecherous male servants. In years past a maid would have caught his eye, but they were ephemeral beauties, quickly losing their shine. The novelty had long worn off.

"Which one Letheo?" Carrion asked. There were certain girls in service, which he didn't want messed with. Daughters or sisters of wealthy merchants, or politicians from other islands.

Letheo looked up with a guarded expression, trying to read which way the conversation was going. In general he didn't have a problem finding woman, they knew who he was, and they all wanted something from him. Outranking most of the staff gave him many perks. But a personal maid to Candy Quackenbush was on the same level to him, possibly higher, so he'd need permission.

"The blonde one," Letheo replied cryptically. He didn't want to indicate too much interest unless Carrion took offence, he didn't know who she was after all.

Carrion knew one blonde maid, she had been appointed by Mrs Minow, and was being instructed in the daily management of staff and household affairs. He assumed that she would one day take over from Mrs Minow, and if that was the case, he ought to speak to her also. That was if she survived her first year in the towers of course. Until she made herself indispensable to him, Carrion considered her still one of many.

"Very well," Carrion said losing interest, his mind was wandering back to Candy.

Carrion had heard her father shouting at her, and the abusive words he had called her. Candy's tear stricken face had seemed so young, as she'd looked up at him with wide frightened eyes. Why had she brought her father with her, when he was abusive and cruel? Carrion had believed her to be something from the light, different from the suffering he had experienced in his own life. But in the end, was she just like him? Unable to escape an abusive parent, chained forever to them, hating them, but still craving recognition? He knew how that felt. He could never be cold or cruel enough for his grandmother, no matter how he'd hurt himself trying.

Carrion wondered if he could have comforted her, if he had stayed. But it was safer to leave Candy be. But they couldn't continue to live separate lives, together they needed to fashion a way of being together. Carrion hoped that Candy might take the lead, set the barriers, state the rules, which ultimately he would enjoy breaking.

"Letheo, I want you to deliver a message to Miss Quackenbush," Carrion said, his mind racing with what he wanted to say.

Not quite believing his luck that he had been given permission to pursue the new Mistress' maid, Letheo jumped to his feet at the chance at seeing her again so soon. Candy Quackenbush's arrival had done nothing but good, for everyone. Waiting impatiently for the note, Letheo tried to let his gaze slip over to what his master was writing.

* * *

Peta opened the door with some difficultly, manoeuvring all her shopping bags through the doorway, before greeting all in the room with a bright smile. She had expeted to find everything as she had left it the day before, but was immeadiatly hit with the feeling that something had happened. Shaking off the feeling, she dropped all the bags to the floor.

"I'm back!" she called, seeing Candy at the far end of the room staring out the window, and her sister Lola dozing in a chair. "I got everything you asked for. I thought I might as well get it today, since I was in town…" Peta trailed into silence as Candy turned to face her. "What's happened?" Peta asked seeing Candy's tear stained face.

Wiping some of her tears away, Candy focused on the shopping bags. She had been unable to stop crying, still recalling her father's hateful words over and over. Every time she thought about him, she broke into a few wave of tears.

"Thanks," Candy said shakily, trying to smile, but her face felt frozen. "But it was your day off, you shouldn't have spent it doing my shopping."

"Never mind that," Peta said waving the thanks away. "What's happened? You've been crying."

Candy looked away ashamed. She felt so weak and pathetic. Why did she let people hurt her much? Why couldn't she just stop caring about what her dad thought of her? He'd never loved her, she knew that, but she couldn't help her need for approval. Why couldn't she make anyone proud?

"I had an argument with my dad," Candy mumbled, feeling embarrassed. To Candy's bemusement, she noticed that this explanation caused Peta to stop looking at her so desperately. If that wasn't what Peta had been expecting her to say, then what she'd been thinking must have been even worse.

"I'm sorry," Peta said, relieved that she hadn't been upset by Lord Carrion. She knew Candy was a pretty fragile person. "Are you OK?"

Candy shrugged.

"I'm used to it. I know what he thinks of me. He set this whole wedding up to get rid of me. It's all about money… he thought I'd messed up the engagement and Lord Carrion would send me home," Candy said sadly, but it felt good to share what had happened with Peta, as if by doing so relieved some of the hurt it had caused. Candy bit her lip, and Lola, who had woken up to listen to the conversation, took the silence as a cue to chip in.

"She's meeting Lord Carrion tonight," Lola said excitedly.

Candy blushed as Peta looked at her for confirmation, and realised that she had no idea what she was really meeting him for. Dinner? A chat? Something all together more intimate? Blushing again, she looked down at her feet.

"Well we should start getting ready then," Peta said practically, changing the subject. Her morning of freedom seemed a world away now. How could it be that she left for one day, and everything fell apart? If Mrs Minow found out, then she'd be livid. Peta was supposed to be running Candy's household alone, which turned out to be far more complex than Peta had imagine it to be.

Lola was happily looking through Peta's shopping, but gasped as she was forcibly grabbed and pulled back on her feet.

"What the heck is going on? I was away one morning! And why are you lazing about? Where is Suzette?" Peta hissed once Candy had retreated into her bedroom.

Lola scowled.

"Suzette is allowed a day off too you know! You're not the only one. Anyway, I've finished all my tasks, and Mistress said I could rest. She didn't want to be on her own. Just in case her father came back. Or Lord Carrion. Or something. Anyway, what are you going to do about it anyway?"

Peta rolled her eyes. While she was glad her sister had such a high position in service, it made working with her difficult. If Suzette had spoken to her as such, Peta would have had her demoted, disciplined and sent back to the kitchens. But hearing disrespect from a sibling was different. Mostly since her mother wouldn't be very happy if her youngest daughter lost her position.

"Mind your tone," Peta warned. "We are not at home." She stopped talking as she heard a knock at the door. Letting go of Lola, she opened it with as much composure as she could manage.

Letheo held Carrion's note out before him, but stood stunned as he was met with not one blonde maid, but two.

"Errr," he stammered as he looked from one to the other. The blonde girl who he had seen before, looked like a child standing behind the young woman scowling at him.

"Yes?" Peta asked haughtily. She could feel Lola trying to push past her to better see their caller, but she remained determinedly in the way. "Can I help you?"

"I have a letter from Lord Carrion for your mistress," Letheo said holding the letter forward.

"My Mistress is unavailable at present, so you may give the note to me," Peta said holding out her hand. She saw Letheo's eyes sweep over her, but the look in his eye made her annoyed. "If you've quite finished," Peta said. She saw him blush at being caught, and he handed the note over promptly.

Peta handed the note to Lola and instructed her to take it to Candy. As she made to close the door the caller, Letheo reached for her wrist and prevented her.

"Miss," he said bowing. "I have offended you, I apologise. Letheo, your servant," he said as chivalrously as he could manage.

"I though you were Lord Carrion's _servant_?" Peta asked unimpressed. "And you have offended me, so goodbye."

As soon as the door was closed, Peta allowed herself to smile. So it began. She wondered how long it would take before word got round that there were new maids in service.

_Candy,_

_Please dress appropriately for the Midnight climate._

Candy handed the small note to Lola, whose expression was rather unimpressed. It didn't take long for Peta to read it also, and a general wonderment ensued.


	12. One of Two Paths

**A/N: **Thank you everyone for the reviews! The workload is easing off a little at the moment, so I've given myself a break from the books and checked into ffnet!

**One of Two Paths**

Whilst Lola thought Carrion's note was proof that Candy was about to embark on an adventure with him, Candy was less hopeful. They had many things to discuss after all, and it was unlikely he was taking her anywhere at all. Although Peta's conclusion that they must be going out into the night, rather than staying in the tower was pretty obvious from Carrion's instructions.

As the girls fussed over Candy's appearance, plaiting her hair and twisting it into an impromptu up-do, Candy felt the butterflies in her stomach grow and force her to take short shallow breaths. She would have to get her nerves under control if she wanted to say anything at all to Lord Carrion. From past experience she knew that she tended to clam up when it came to having painful conversations, and nothing could be more uncomfortable than discussing the rest of their lives. Having already had the decision made for her, that she would continue on this path to become his queen, Candy still needed to convince him that he shouldn't send her away.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Candy said staring at her reflection. Her eyes rimmed with black stared back at her, and her pale face seeming all the more white against the dark brown of her coat.

Candy didn't add that her main motive for her actions was her intense desire to get away from her father. For the first time, she wished that her mother were standing next to her. She had never really needed her before, always being an independent child, but now she wished someone would hug her in a way that said everything was OK.

"You'll be fine," Peta said without much conviction, but a smile on her face in any case. "Lola, you can walk with Candy," Peta said, seeing her sister's eyes light up at the thought of having a task of some importance.

Suddenly Candy felt herself under pressure to get moving, since Lola was so keen to do her job. Almost bouncing on her heels, she followed Candy to the door and smiled at her mistress' worried expression.

"Hey, cheer up, this is the biggest date of you life," Lola said as they left.

Candy considered this and knew that her life so far had been kept controlled for this moment. Her lack of freedom, and the way her parents had discouraged her from being with her friends, had kept her from experiencing the fun and heartache of dating. She really had no idea what to expect, and felt like a child as she walked into the large hallway, and waited by the double-door entrance.

Looking around nervously, Candy could hear that someone was walking towards them, although they had not appeared around the corner yet. Suddenly the small door to her left opened and a boy stumbled through looking breathless. He started at Candy, then turned and dropped into an elegant bow. Following the line of his reverence, Candy saw that Carrion was now walking towards her. Instructively she looked to Lola for guidance, but the blonde girl had a blush on her face and her eyes to the ground.

"Curtsy," Lola whispered softly, and Candy dipped into a quick curtsy that was nowhere near as elegant as those around her.

Carrion was about to hold his hand out for hers, but Candy's nervous curtsy threw him and he stood before her instead. Candy looked up uncertain, and noticed that he was waiting. Trying a small smile, Candy was alarmed to find that his unreadable expression remained.

Flicking her eyes to Lola, she saw that the younger girl was now intently looking at the boy. When Candy turned back to Carrion she was concerned to find he seemed to be looking her over. Whatever he was thinking, he must have found her satisfactory, and held his arm out for her to take. With the lightest touch Candy could manage, she accompanied him out into the Midnight air, and down the impressive driveway she had arrived through only a few days previous.

"I must apologise, I have been absent for some time," Carrion said as they walked. Candy kept her gaze forwards, and tried to keep her steps steady. She could hear Lola and the boy walking behind them, respectfully keeping their distance. "But there has been many things that needed my attention," Carrion added, looking down atop her head, waiting for a reply.

"That's alright," Candy said feeling awkward, looking up at him for only the briefest of moments. "I had some things to sort out too." This wasn't entirely true, or entirely false. She had needed the time to settle into her rooms, and get to know her maids, but at the same time she had been worried about her fate.

Carrion let the matter rest. He hadn't really been seeking her forgiveness, but he knew that Candy would hide any real feelings she might have. She wouldn't dare to speak them before him anyway.

Leading her further down the road, he could tell that Candy was beginning to wonder what was going on. He could see that she was scanning her surroundings looking for clues, but there was nothing. Carrion was eager to read her reactions, as he knew he was about to loose his control over her. He was going to give her a choice, and he had no way of influencing her. He hoped that she was not going to hurt him, but his hopes were not very high. He was used to rejection and pain, how could this be any different?

From the moment Carrion had seen the reporters article in the paper, he had begun to wonder if he'd been fooled once again. He half expected Candy to be some kind of cruel joke being played upon him by his grandmother. All of this was her idea after all. Perhaps Candy was only here to remind him of what he could never have. Something beautiful to taunt and tease him, then turn around and declare it all a game. If Motley ever wanted to crush him and remind him of her control over him, destroying the last scrap of hope in his cold heart would be the most severe lesson.

"Candy I have arranged a journey back to the harbour, and a boat back to your home. You will live with you mother, and your father will remain here. I will honour your father's allowance and the promises made. But you are free to go," Carrion said unable to fully meet her eyes. He couldn't tell her true expression, but her mouth had opened in shock. He could feel her eyes desperately searching his face.

"But," Candy stuttered, she could think of nothing to say. How could everything be ending like this? She had had no chance to tell him that the newspaper was lying, that she didn't despise being here.

"Goodbye," Carrion said bowing to her, before turning and walking back the way he came. He passed the boy that had accompanied him, but did not take him back with him.

Candy looked at Lola, and found she was equally stunned. The boy however looked slightly annoyed. He had folded his arms, and something about the way he was standing annoyed Candy.

"Who are you anyway?" she snapped.

"Letheo miss," Letheo said nodding his head in the mockery of a bow. "Now you have to make a decision before the boat sails."

"A decision?" Lola questioned on behalf of her astonished mistress.

"Are you going home or what?" Letheo demanded. He was annoyed that Candy was delaying, and not moving. He hated it when people couldn't make up their minds. Although he had to admit this was a pretty big decision to spring upon someone.

"Lord Carrion didn't give me a choice," Candy said matter-of-factly. She could still see Carrion; he was walking across the grass around the tower, but would soon be gone.

Still Letheo remained looking unimpressed.

"What are you going to do?" Lola asked quietly, knowing that Candy was working herself into a rage.

"What do you mean, what am I going to do? He's just kicked me off the island. I'll have to go won't I!" Candy exclaimed.

"Well, no, actually he didn't say that… you could refuse to leave," Lola said looking sideways at Letheo. The fact that he was hanging around made her wonder whether this was some kind of test. However she wasn't about to tell Candy this. If she stayed, or if she went, it would be down to what Candy decided. "He has given you a choice."

Lola was right, Candy thought. Carrion had left her alone here, so that she could walk one of two ways without any pressure. She had no doubt he was being true, if she walked away from the tower, she was sure she'd find the promised boat waiting for her. Then again, if she turned around and went back, what might happen then? For a moment she stood still, thinking, then took a deep breath and started walking.


	13. Broken Pieces

**Broken Pieces**

Candy felt Lola and Letheo following behind her as she continued back the way she came. Unable to see Lord Carrion anymore, Candy walked without a direction, just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and covering some distance. She didn't realise just how far they had walked away from the tower, and once she was back outside the doors she had no idea where to go next. Candy didn't want to ask for someone else's opinion, not even Lola's. She felt like a first class idiot standing outside the building that up until now she had accepted as her new home. Now she wasn't sure if she was even allowed inside.

Turning away from the doors, Candy stepped into the gardens instead and strode through the red mist that was being blown up towards the tower from the sea.

Lola was keeping her distance from her mistress; she didn't really want to be called upon to give advice. Feeling torn, since she wished she wasn't a part of this, and yet intrigued to know what would happen. She felt sorry for Candy, and yet impressed by her bravery. Letheo on the other hand still looked annoyed.

"What are you scowling about?" Lola hissed towards Letheo. "You're so annoying."

Letheo raised an eyebrow as he walked, and looked sideways at the little blonde girl. He liked the way she walked behind Candy with her nose stuck in the air, as if she believed she was the most important person in the world. He liked how she looked down on him as if she couldn't stand him, and yet when he looked at her he liked how a blush of embarrassment crossed her cheeks.

"Perhaps you should stop staring at me and attend your mistress. She's walking about in circles here. I'm supposed to be taking her to the ship, but Lord Carrion didn't stipulate what I should do if she disobeyed him," Letheo replied with a grin. Lola frowned.

"Well Lord Carrion obviously thought she wouldn't want to stay," Lola said with a touch of sadness. "I guess he underestimated my mistress."

"I guess so," Letheo replied. "But your mistress if going to make herself ill if you don't do something."

"Wait, hang on one minute, my mistress is fine I'll have you know. She's way stronger than she looks. She'll get this sorted alright."

"Sure whatever you say. She looks like a frightened little kid to me," Letheo replied. It was his opinion that Candy would last one minute in Gorgossium, but now he didn't know what was happening.

"Well she isn't."

"Sure. Well anyway, she appears to have left us behind."

"What?" Lola said alarmed, looking around for Candy. "Where the heck did she go?" Cursing under her breath, Lola stomped off in the direction she thought Candy might have gone. She couldn't believe she had been distracted by some stupid boy, when Candy needed her help. Peta was going to kill her.

Candy watched Lola searching for her in the opposite direction and Letheo lazily following behind her. Closing her eyes she leant against the trunk of a tree and slid down onto the floor. Feeling tears stinging the insides of her eyelids, Candy tried to wipe them away, but as soon as they disappeared they came back twice as worse. Feeling a sickening feeling rising, Candy sobbed and brought her legs up to hug them to her chest.

Suddenly she wondered whether the ship was still waiting in the harbour, if she hurried she could be on her way home, and before she knew it she'd be back in her tiny room, with her brother's making chaos. Staggering to her feet, Candy wiped at her eyes and began wandering through the trees. Believing she was heading in the direction of the sea, but not really caring, she stumbled over stones, wet leaves and low hanging branches. Something was singing a sinister tune, with the voice of a crow in the top of the trees. Candy felt its eyes following her, before it took off into the air and flew away. Feeling totally alone, Candy felt the tears falling down her face once again, and looked up into the branches as the first drops of rain hit her head.

Brushing her hair from her face, and pulling up the hood on her coat, Candy kept wandering until she reached a place she found familiar. It took her a while to realise that it was at this spot that she had first met Lord Carrion. She wondered what he had been thinking back then. He must have see something in her worthy enough to cause so much upheaval and attention from the public. He must have thought she'd be worth it, and she'd let him down. He couldn't even bare to kick her off the island himself. He must really hate her.

Sniffing, Candy touched the spot where her head had hit the tree, and felt her stomach lurch. The way he had looked at her, back then. And not just then, every time they met. Candy closed her eyes and pictured the scene once again, pressing her back into the tree to remember. No one had ever looked at her like that. She couldn't understand why she was falling apart, everything was so wrong.

Shaking her head she followed the path she had run before with Ricky and Don to the fence, and climbed back up and over the spikes. Landing clumsily, she fell to her knees and scraped the skin. Remaining on the floor for a moment, Candy looked down the roads that lead into the town and towards the harbour. It was a long walk, but she had no other plan. Pushing herself up and dusting herself off, Candy began a shaky walk down towards the town.

* * *

Lola burst into Peta's bedroom with Letheo still in tow. Peta, who had been relaxing on her bed with a book, jumped to her feet in alarm. For once she didn't scold her younger sister for barging into her room without an invite.

"What? What's happened?" Peta demanded.

"Candy's gone! Lord Carrion told her she had to leave, but Candy didn't. I thought she'd come back here, but I've looked everywhere and I cant find her. I think she still must be outside somewhere. You have to help me," Lola explained frantically, trying her best to plead her case. She knew that after this was over she'd be in trouble for losing Candy in the first place.

"Are you here to help?" Peta asked looking at Letheo, she wasn't sure they could trust him not to run to Lord Carrion and get them into trouble. But other than lock him in the room, there was little they could do.

"Of course," Letheo replied, his amusement restored. This mess was becoming more entertaining by the second, and to top it off, he was now in the company of two pretty women rather than one. "Do you imagine Carrion will look kindly on me if I tell him I lost his bride?"

Peta regarded him with a sceptical gaze before she decided to believe him. He had nothing to gain from not helping them, and another set of eyes would be a help.

"OK, so we need to split up. Lola I want you to continue searching the tower. Candy doesn't know the place very well, she might have gotten lost. Don't let anyone what has happened, we don't need another mess like the newspaper story," Peta instructed. Lola nodded.

"What about you two?" she asked.

"Letheo can search the town, he wont look odd walking about on his own. I'll take the gardens. Actually Lola, you better find Mrs Minow, she might have some ideas."

With the plan set, the team dispersed into the hallways and in different directions. Peta could feel her heart beating widely as she hurried down to the gardens. If they couldn't find her they would have no choice but to go to Lord Carrion, and she had no idea what reception they would get.

* * *

Candy could feel people staring at her as she staggered through the street. Her red-ringed eyes stared forward unseeing, and she pulled clumps of hair behind her ears, over and over again. She could feel it sticking together like rat-tails, full of tears, leaves and rain.

The spitting rain was beginning to fall heavier, and all around her people were beginning to hurry in order to hide from it. Street sellers were frantically making their final sales before covering their stalls and packing away. Candy continued to walk with the same slow steps, staring around her but feeling distant. She had no doubt that _if_ these people knew who she was she would not be wandering down the road alone. But there was comfort in anonymity. No one was going to stop and question her, she could go wherever she liked.

Wiping the rain from her face, Candy looked up into the skyline and saw the huge Ferris wheel turning against the rain that threatened to bring it down. The bright lights acted as guide, drawing her closer, promising her some escape from the darkness. As she walked the ground underneath became softer, covering her boots with mud.

The music that played from the stalls was a happy tune, which coupled with the rain made the few young people still left at the fair hysterically happy. Candy watched them, jumping in puddles, and pushing each other out from the small places they had taken cover. From beside her something jumped out from it's pretend grave, laughing as a fake ghost swirled overhead.

"Ride the ghost train miss?" the man attending the ride asked. Shaking her head, Candy moved on, leaving the screaming and laughing behind her.

In front of her a small boy ran past with a fish he'd won, bobbing up and down in a bag. He held it up for the world to see like a trophy, not realising that the poor creature would probably not survive its rough journey home. But the world began to fade as the wheel loomed before her, taking its riders high up into the air and away from their problems.

"Getting on love?" the woman asked holding the gate open for Candy as the next free seat came around.

Digging in her pocket, Candy was unsurprised to find it empty. Instead she pulled the gold bangle off of her wrist and held it out for the woman.

"Will you accept this?"

The woman appeared torn, knowing that she should not take it, and yet feeling tempted. But closer study of the girl holding it showed her not to be in the right state of mind for giving anything away.

"You can owe me love, you'd have to ride the wheel for years to get your money's worth," the woman replied finally, holding the seat steady for Candy to climb on. Candy gave her a grateful smile, and held on tight.

As the wind and the rain blew into her face, Candy closed her eyes and felt herself being taken higher. As she reached the top, she looked back at the Twelfth tower, and wondered what was happening there. Did Lord Carrion know she wasn't on the ship? Were they looking for her? She wondered what Lola and Peta were doing, if they were worried. She hoped that she had not gotten into trouble over her. If she ever got the opportunity she'd make sure they were forgiven if need be.

As the wheel descended, and climbed, descended and climbed, Candy felt herself slipping into a dreamlike state, that only ended as the ride slowed and the kind woman who had taken pity on her, offered to help her off.

Smiling, Candy walked with her heart a little lighter, with half a thought of going back to the tower. Then she stepped out into the road without looking. The motorised carriage hit her hard, throwing her to the ground. Its large wheels skidded on the wet ground, missing her by an inch. Feeling the light flickering out, and the sounds becoming distant, Candy gave into the dizziness in her head and closed her eyes.

**A/N**: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I was going to end this chapter sooner, than I think this is a better place. 


	14. Delirium

**A/N:** Thank you guys. An old friend of ours makes an appearance in this chapter. And don't worry, Candy doesn't die, it wouldn't be much of a story if she did! :)

**The Stars Like The Dark**

**Chapter Fourteen -- Delirium**

Someone was fussing around her as Candy opened her eyes. Through her blurred vision she saw it was a young girl in a uniform that didn't seem to belong to her. The girl was fiddling with something on her hand, and Candy's consciousness came back to her as she realised that it hurt. Flinching away, Candy felt the girl stop, and look up at her, waiting.

"I'm sorry," she said in a sincere voice, "I was hoping you'd sleep through it."

"Through what?" Candy asked, still waiting for her memories to catch up with the present. But her mind remained dark, and she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. "What are you doing?"

"Giving you medication through the needle in your hand. Sometimes it can sting," the girl replied calmly. "But it's all done now. How are you feeling?"

The simple question didn't seem to have a simple answer in Candy's muddled mind. She didn't know how she was feeling, only that she suspected whatever the girl had given her was to blame for her current state of sedation. The room around her was bland, the ceiling made from white plastic tiles. The walls were tiled also, as if they needed to be wiped down regularly. A bright light shone on one side of her face, and the girl pushed it away on it's hinge as she noticed it was hurting Candy's eyes.

"OK I suppose," Candy replied, feeling the rest of her body making itself known. She was lying down on a soft bed; something was attached to her arm and something else to the big toe on her right foot. Nothing was hurting, nothing felt normal either. She couldn't remember ever being this tired before.

"Good," the girl replied. "That's good," she added as she began writing things down on a chart.

"Am I in a hospital?" Candy asked looking around. It wasn't like she imagined a hospital being; in fact she seemed to be in a room on her own.

"Yes, the Gorgossium infirmary," the girl replied with a smile. "Is there someone I can contact for you? To let someone know where you are? Your mother perhaps?"

Candy reached up to her neck, and noticed that her necklace had been removed. For a moment she couldn't remember why that was worrying her, until a nagging thought came back to her, that she was trying to escape something.

"Are you a nurse?" Candy asked, her mind turning from the necklace. The thoughts in her head seemed to be running in different directions, and jumping back and forth. Fighting to keep her eyes open, and to clear her head, Candy realised she couldn't fight anymore.

"Yes, that's right. Now, is there someone I can call?"

Candy tried her best to remember where her mother could be found, but her mind was wandering once again. Eventually she felt herself mumbling something before the darkness won over once again.

The girl watched her for a little while before leaving her be. An older woman was waiting outside, and looked at her expectantly.

"Lea you were a long time in there. Everything alright?" the older woman asked.

"Fine. She woke up as I was giving her the drugs. Poor thing, didn't know where she was. I think she's going to pull through though, I've done all the assessments," Lea replied, showing her superior the information she'd gained. The older woman looked over the charts and nodded.

"Did you manage to get some identification for her? Or some family to contact?"

Lea shook her head.

"No, I thought it would be best not to push it. She must have hit her head pretty hard, because she was asking me to contact Lord Carrion," Lea replied, in a pitying voice, as if she thought Candy was delirious.

The older woman nodded in agreement.

"Poor dear," she said looking once more at the charts. "Alright, keep me updated."

* * *

Mater Motley, Christopher Carrion's grandmother, was watching the world from her advantage point in the highest tower. The fairground that made an ugly mark on the dark skyline continued to shine with defiance against her disapproving eyes. She did not know why her grandson allowed it to remain, lighting up the sky and filling the silence with sickly joyful music. The tunes reached Motley on the moments of easterly wind, when the red mists rolled in off of the sea.

Motley suspected that it was here for the Quackenbush girl, who would probably enjoy such trifles until her soul was darkened by the misery of the place. But this was not really something that interested Motley, all she cared for was the continuation of her blood line, through Christopher, his marriage to Candy and the subsequent children that would follow.

She had a mind to take one of their children into her own care. Teach it as she has Christopher. Just one. To be dominant over the others. To be cruel, to rule, to be totally in her control. Any others the mother could keep.

A knock at the door brought her shrivelled face away from the window. A servant was hurrying to answer the door and to do so quickly enough for his mistress. A hunched girl stood on the other side, with dark circles around her eyes as if she suffered from insomnia. Her jet black hair hung about her face like curtains, and was as devoid of life as her expression. Quickly she crossed the distance to Motley and curtsied at her feet to show her respect.

"Mistress, I have news of mistress Quackenbush and your grandson."

"Continue."

"A ship is leaving the harbour, bound for her home hour. It is suspected that Candy is on board and that Lord Carrion has given her permission to leave," the girl reported, keeping her eyes lowered.

Motley considered the news. Her grandson did not often act out of character, nor did things that her surprised her. But Motley was aware that by introducing another influence upon him, she was adding an uncertain outcome. Had Candy Quackenbush already found a way of moulding him? It would not be hard for her, if she had the confidence to do it.

"To see her family?" Motley enquired.

The girl shook her head.

"No one is sure mistress. But it seems she has taken the offer and left."

"And your evidence that she has left is…" Motley prompted.

"It is certain she is not in the tower any longer. She was last seen walking into the gardens with Lord Carrion, and him returning alone. Her servants were looking for her, and behaving oddly."

Motley waved the servant back and walked to the window once again. She felt her bones creaking as she moved, but rather than shy away from the pains in her joints, she delighted in them. She was old, but she was strong. Old age did not dare come to claim her, not yet.

"My grandson has been foolish. But we shall not interfere as of yet. Report to me once there is any changes."

It seemed to Motley that although her grandson knew that this would be a marriage of convenience, he had not yet given up his ridiculous ideas of love. If he had been testing his future bride, then his ego would have been badly shaken. Candy was no fool it seemed, seizing a chance to run. Perhaps she, Motley, should have made her presence more felt instead of leaving them alone. After all, how could a young girl and a man taught for cruelty, ever shift well together? But Candy could run if she liked, it would only make her Grandson crueller in the end. The girl was only hurting herself. Motley would find her eventually; there would be no escape for her. Best for Candy to accept her fate, and try to reconcile to it. Fall in love if she could. Take something to numb her mind, kill her senses, and live a life that was a lie, in ignorant unaware bliss. Rather than stare ahead sober, watching the horrors of Midnight drawing closer.


	15. Candy is Found

**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews everyone!

**The Stars Like the Dark**

**Chapter Fifteen --- Candy is Found**

Lola was standing outside of the library, her feet ached from traipsing the halls of the tower, and her eyes itched from tiredness. This was the last place she wanted to be, but since no one could find any trace of Candy, Lola had no choice. According to the guards nearby, Carrion had stormed into the room not so long ago, and had not yet come out.

Shifting her weight back and forth, Lola wondered whether she would ever make it back out of the room should she go inside. But there was no avoiding it. The search for Candy had become more frantic when it was discovered she was nowhere in the tower, and had definitely not taken the offered ship back home. That meant she was lost somewhere in the city, and the situation had become too serious to keep quiet. The lookout needed to go wider, and Carrion needed to know.

Carrion stared at the books, neatly placed upon the shelves. Most had never been touched since their owner had abandoned them there. Since the library was considered a public place, Carrion knew could never guarantee solitude, but then there never seemed to be many employees interested in reading anyway. When the door creaked open behind him, Carrion remained facing the opposite way. He could tell the intruder had a light and nervous step. A movement in the corner of his eye showed him a reflection of a blonde girl in a window.

As he turned to face her, she dropped down to the floor in a fluid movement. The graceful way in which she moved stopped him from feeling irritated, and he waited instead to know why this girl had sought him out. As she looked up with wide worried eyes, Carrion realised that he had seen her before.

"How can I help you?" Carrion asked courteously, but the smile on his face showed a hint of cruel amusement.

Lola's felt herself flush under his stare; she didn't know Candy could bear it. His eyes seemed to pierce into her, making her nervous. The feeling made her embarrassed, worried that she might show something she didn't want to.

"My Lord, I …" Lola stuttered. She realised she didn't know how she was going to tell him, and her face was getting hot. "Candy Quackenbush … um … she didn't get on the boat." She dropped down once again in a curtsy, readying herself for his reaction. But there was nothing.

As the silence stretched too long, Lola felt her already diminished confidence disappear into nothingness. She could no longer meet Carrion's stern eye, and wished he might look away. She felt annoyed with herself that she couldn't think of something useful to say, after all she'd basically just told the Lord of Midnight that his betrothed had run away.

"She could not have left the hour, that boat was the only one sailing," Carrion replied after a time. He had not been able to think clearly for a while, his thoughts arriving in a jumble. Candy could not have gone far, and it gave him a small hope for the future that she had not chosen to take the boat home.

"I have searched the whole tower, she's not here. Letheo is already in the town, and my sister is searching the grounds. But we cannot find her. My Lord, I have not known my lady long, but this is not in her character. I fear something must have happened."

* * *

Candy was beginning to realise that she existed in the world once more, and her thoughts began to take a more organised form as she struggled to open her eyes. Whatever the nurse had given her was wearing off, and she was surprised to find that she was feeling rather well. Someone was in the room with her, straightening her covers, and generally fussing about. As her gaze focused, Candy saw it was the same nurse that had welcomed her back into the world the last time.

"Please don't give me anymore drugs," Candy mumbled as she tried to sit up. Immediately her head began to spin, and she lay back down. As nice as the nurse had seemed last time, she had the power here, and the nauseous feeling Candy was feeling following the drugs made her scared. Drugs equalled a lack of control, and in a strange place where she didn't know what was happening, Candy didn't want to be comatose.

"Of course not," the nurse replied, coming to Candy's side. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," Candy replied, rubbing at her eyes. "And a little sick."

"The after effects of the analgesics can make you feel that way, but it'll wear off soon. You'd had a good sleep, and once you've had a wash and something to eat, you'll be fine."

Candy nodded, the nurse's confident manner of speaking lessened Candy's fears. She wasn't about to hurt her, and it gave Candy a little more confidence in her situation.

Following a small meal of fish and a selection of brightly coloured vegetables, the nurse returned to suggest Candy take a bath. With shaky legs, Candy gratefully took her arm and dizzily walked to the bathroom. Still not herself enough to worry about her dignity, Candy let the nurse help her with her hospital gown and into the tub.

Alhough the hot water of the bath made her head spin even more, Candy felt herself relax. Closing her eyes she let herself doze for a moment. It was only a few minutes later, when Candy startled herself awake, that she realised the nurse was still in the room with her.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "I can't leave you alone. I have to continue monitoring the effects of the analgesics. We had to give you quite a lot in the end. It was a nasty bash to the head you sustained. And I noticed you'd already received some injuries previously, which caused some concerns."

Candy suddenly remembered the multiple times her father had hit her, and how although she'd forgotten about the bruises, it didn't mean they'd disappeared. Ashamed, Candy stared straight ahead. She touched the mark on her forehead. Carrion had never mentioned it to her, but then, why should he? It had happened before she'd arrived, and she hadn't been his to care for then.

"Did someone hit you?" the nurse asked, noticing that Candy seemed to be lost in thought.

Candy shook her head.

"It doesn't matter."

Frowning, the nurse started flicking through a file, full of papers. Candy wondered, what could have been written about her to fill up so many pages?

"I need to fill out a bit of paperwork, for our records. Is that OK?" the nurse asked. Candy nodded, not really caring. As long as she didn't have to get out of the water just yet. "Well, I'll start with your name then, if I may?"

Candy nodded once again.

"Candy Quackenbush."

It took a little while before the nurse frowned and looked up with a closer stare. She seemed caught between dismissing her question as stupid, and confused.

"As in, _the_ Candy Quackenbush, soon to be Queen of Midnight?"

"Well, I was a few days ago," Candy replied, reaching for the soap, and determinedly not meeting her eye. "Before he kicked me out," she added sadly. Suddenly she saw the nurse had a different questioning stare. "Oh no, _he_ didn't hit me!" Candy defended. "It was my dad, he doesn't like me. I never wanted to come here, and he got mad. But I guess I was right, since Carrion hates me too now."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"No it is, I was supposed to get on a ship and go home; only I couldn't. I didn't want to go, not when it came down to it. I rode the ferris wheel instead."

The nurse looked compassionately upon Candy as she finished up in the bath. She was wondering what to do with this new information. The girl had already told her to contact Lord Carrion, which she had not done, since she'd thought the request was simply the ravings of a poor girl with concussion. Perhaps she should work on getting a message out? Then again, the last thing they needed was the press finding out and descending upon them. Maybe she should try finding the mother instead?

* * *

It was a very confused Melissa Quackenbush who welcomed a servant of Midnight into her home, along with a girl who claimed to be a nurse from a Gorgossium hospital. Apparently the pair had never met each other before, despite both apparently sharing a boat over to the island. The boy stared at the nurse with a sceptical gaze, as they sat next to one another on Melissa's sofa.

"So, how can I help you both?" Melissa asked. Her face was thin, and her hair lank. Ever since her daughter had let, her world had been tending to her boys, caring for nothing else, lest they be taken from her also.

"It's about Candy," they both said together, before returning to stare at each other.

"Hang on a minute, who are you?" the girl demanded. "I'm not talking in front of you unless you identify yourself. You might be the press for all I know."

"Well who are you? Why are you here?" the boy demanded, with an air of authority, as if he didn't think much of people who claimed to be nurses.

"You first."

The boy scowled, but it seemed like she wasn't about to give in. But if he was honest, it didn't look like she was here with ulterior motives. She had to have genuine travelling documents, since there were strict restrictions on travel to and from Midnight since Candy's disappearance.

"My name is Letheo, and I am Lord Christopher Carrion's personal assistant, here with a message from the Lord himself, for the mother of his bride."

Letheo stood and gave Melissa a flourish of a bow, as he handed out a letter of invitation to Midnight. He seemed pleased with himself until the girl jumped up also.

"Who he kicked out of the tower!"

"How do you know that?" Letheo challenged.

"Because I am a nurse in Gorgossium's most prodigious hospital, and Miss Candy Quackenbush is my patient. I do not think much of your master, sir, who kicks out a young girl, only for her to be seriously injured and forced to take copious amounts of analgesic medication!"

"Mistress Candy was supposed to take the boat home, not run away!" Letheo argued.

"A boat home she didn't want to take! Although, goodness knows why. That girl is beaten black and blue!"

Melissa thought she was about to faint. What had been happening that she had been kept ignorant of? She had naively supposed Candy would have written to her, telling her if something was wrong or if she was unhappy. She had assumed no news was good news, and she had been worried Candy didn't want to hear from her anyway. But now she knew different. Candy had been suffering in silence.

"I must go to Midnight," Melissa said staggering to her feet. "You can tell me everything on the way."

Letheo nodded. His purpose of soliciting Mrs Quackenbush's help, had been to locate Candy, but now that he knew she was in hospital his problems were solved. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of looking there in the first place, but the thought that she might be injured had never crossed his mind. Everyone just assumed she'd run away.


	16. Lord Carrion's Offer

**A/N**: Thank you everyone for the reviews!

**Lord Carrion's Offer**

Melissa looked up at the tall building, and wondered how her daughter could have been brought here without anyone knowing. She must have been frightened to wake up and find herself alone in a place she didn't know. Once again the failings of Melissa's husband became apparent, how could he have let this happen? Candy was supposed to be under his protection until she was married, but yet it seemed he'd washed his hands of her the moment they'd set sail for Midnight.

"This way," the nurse instructed walking on ahead. She wondered how long it would take for Letheo to get back to the tower and inform Lord Carrion.

How long would that give Candy to ready herself? A few minutes perhaps? Before she was thrown back into the world she had managed to briefly escape.

Melissa followed the girl along a few corridors, around corners and across communal lounges. The hospital was like a maze, and without her guide, Melissa knew she'd never have found her way to the little courtyard that sheltered her daughter. Candy looked up, her pale face was hidden under a shawl, and the draped material swamped her. Small and frail, Candy smiled but the skin around her mouth was taught. Melissa tried not to show the shock of Candy's appearance across her face, but it had been unexpected.

"Candy, your mother is here," the nurse said pulling out another chair so that Melissa could sit down. "I'll get you some tea."

"Mum!" Candy said stumbling as she stood, stretching out her arms, hoping that her mother would catch her. It was all the invitation Melissa needed, to see Candy welcoming her, needing her help, happy to see her. But appearances had not been deceptive, as Candy seemed mostly clothes and very little substance at all.

"Don't people eat in Midnight then?" Melissa asked, once Candy had settled herself back in her chair. The candle that was burning on the table, flickered in the breeze, and Candy watched its flame changing colours. She knew her mother's joke was aimed at something much more serious.

"I'm fine, really," Candy replied, trying earnestly to convince her mother, but although her expression was on of sincerity, Melissa didn't believe it. "But," Candy added, "I'm glad that you are here."

A few more moments of conversation, interrupted by drinking tea and continually avoiding the painful subjects, until the sound of marching footsteps alerted them to intrusion. A doctor skidded around the corner of the door, and out into the courtyard. His white coat was stained, suggesting an eventful day, and his face was flushed.

"Madam, Lord Carrion approaches," he managed to gasp out, midst his laboured breathing.

Candy realised the arrival of her betrothed must had thrown the hospital into chaos. She didn't know if the staff had been informed of what might happen or not, only that this man appeared to have run a long distance in order to alert her.

"Thank you," Candy said, once again trying to get to her feet. She didn't know what it was that was making her feel dizzy, or her heart hammer until it threatened to burst from her chest. Was she still ill, or was it something else? Perhaps it was the cold fear that she saw on her mother's face, the wide eyes, and the blanched white skin of panic?

The doctor made a hasty bow and a retreat through the opposite door, just in time to avoid the swarm of guards that invaded the tranquillity of the yard. Carrion was following them, his cloak swept through the doorway in a hypnotic manner, catching Candy's eye as it swayed. His stride was even, assured, she admired the way he walked, afraid of nothing. He was past her mother now, walking straight towards her. Candy swallowed, but it only seemed to make her heart beat faster.

She saw her mother advert her gaze, and curtsy like so many before her had done. But Carrion ignored her, with eyes only for Candy.

"You did not leave," he stated. Candy didn't know if anyone else could hear, but it felt as if the world had melted away. All she could concentrate on was his eyes, and the rapid beating in her chest. She could barely breathe, but she was not afraid.

"No, I did not."

Before she could react, Candy felt herself lifted from the floor, Her toes struggled to keep her steady on the ground as Carrion pulled her to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck to steady herself, Candy realised too late that he meant to kiss her. She heard her own heady gasp as his lips touched hers, moulding them into his own. Shaking, Candy tried to keep composure, and remember the many eyes upon them, but the dizzying feeling continued to fight against her. Eventually he let her go, his cloak shielding her as he turned to Melissa, hiding Candy's flushed face and staggering step back to the chair.

"Candy's mother I presume? I had expected your visit sooner," Carrion said holding out his hand for Melissa to accept. Too thrown by the attention, she forgot to watch for Candy.

"I, er," Melissa stammered as Carrion kissed her hand. "Yes, that is correct. But I…."

"Do not agree with your husband I imagine," Carrion presumed, standing back into his full height.

Candy didn't quite know what he meant by that comment, but she had a few ideas. She wondered if he thought her mother had stayed behind since she disliked the idea of having her daughter marry man with a questionable reputation. Or, maybe it was just for the more obvious reason of the bruises on Candy's body.

"Yes sir," Melissa replied, from a lack of anything better to say. Her eyes darted to Candy, and she wondered how she'd managed to cope here, then again from the look of her, Candy hadn't coped at all.

"My man will show you to the carriage," Carrion said, and a man stepped forward to show Melissa the way. Hesitating for a moment, Melissa looked over to Candy, but she was avoiding her eyes. Unable to do anything other than what Carrion ordered, Melissa nodded and followed the man back into the building. The guards that had been surrounding the area, seemed to be satisfied that it was safe, and filed back into the building also.

Carrion took a seat, and Candy leant back in her chair. Out of the corner of her eye, through the windows, she saw the guards bowing to someone as they walked down the corridor. Slightly concerned who it might be, Candy was relieved to find it was her nurse, carrying a folder.

"Sorry, got held up a little," she said as she joined them. "My Lord, I see your servant Letheo returned the news to you promptly," she added with a curtsy.

Candy found herself stunned by the way the girl spoke to Carrion. But then, she'd worked hard to bring this meeting about, and didn't really have a reason to be frightened.

"He did indeed," Carrion replied, his eyes sweeping her over.

"I've come to discharge you from our care Candy, as I am sure you will be well looked after at home," the nurse said, also bringing a chair up to the table. "Candy, there are two stitches in your scalp, just on the hairline. They will need to come out in a few weeks."

Candy reached up and ran her fingers over the lumps on her forehead; she hadn't paid much attention to what they'd done to her. But sure enough she felt two stitches, rough and foreign under her fingers.

"You've had a few strong painkillers, which I have listed here, and they were received without any adverse side effects. I suggest that if you experience any lasting headaches that you come back and see us. But the doctor has no concerns about you going home, so everything ought to be fine."

Standing up, the nurse placed the papers on the table.

"Thank you for everything you've done," Candy said, sorry now that her time in the hospital had been so short. It had been a welcome break from her usual tense life in the tower, where she was always on edge. A chance to let her guard down had reminded Candy what it was like to be normal.

"Of course."

"No, you did far more than you needed to," Candy assured her. She wished she could talk to her alone, and thank her for not calling the press, or cashing in on her unfortunate client. But with Carrion watching, she didn't feel comfortable. Smiling, she watched the nurse leave. But as soon as the door shut, a chill fell over Candy. She was on her own once more.

"So," Carrion said, pouring himself out a fresh cup of tea.

Candy watched the action with anticipation. Carrion had a way of drawing out moments to make them more painful, holding back information until the last second, or inspiring fear in his company. Right now Candy was feeling fearful, it was obvious he wanted to say something to her, but was letting her wonder and wait. Biting her lip, Candy tried to relax into her chair and not allow herself to look shaken.

"Why have you not obeyed me? I gave you an order Candy," Carrion said, steam rising up across his face from the tea. Candy watched the steam reach up towards the sky and disappear. There were clouds in the sky, covering the stars, making the world below dependant upon artificial light. The hospital gleamed with Pixlar's light bulbs, but outside, Candy had preferred candles.

"I didn't want to leave," Candy replied, hoping short answers would end this uncomfortable conversation quickly. Maybe Carrion wouldn't be in a mood to be cruel tonight; perhaps he'd have mercy.

"What you want is not important. I asked you why you did not follow my orders?"

Candy tried to stand up, but ended up staggering into the table. She fixed Carrion with a contemptible stare, as he dared to drink tea after insulting her. What she wanted didn't matter? Well she supposed that made sense. It wasn't as though anyone had really asked what she'd like to happen. Oh sure, she was allowed to choose the curtains for her bedroom, and run her small household as she liked, but she'd been left to rot in her prison whilst Carrion decided whether or not he wanted to take her out or not.

"Am I just some toy to you?" Candy asked, not caring anymore whether she angered him. She'd been ignored so long, even his anger would be welcome, just as long as he felt something. "You just take me out when you want me, show me off to all your stupid advisers, politicians and generals? Lock me back in my room when you've had enough? I didn't come all this way, get bruise after bruise from my father so you could throw me away once you've had enough!"

"Don't try to anger me Candy," Carrion warned.

"I'm not going home, I refuse. You brought me here, you deal with it!"

Before Candy could run, she was back in her chair. Her head was spinning from where she'd hit the seat so hard. She knew she ought to run, try to escape, even if she couldn't, she should try, But she was rooted by a deeper more intrigued notion that she should stay. Her actions made her feel guilty, as she was betraying someone by letting herself be treated like this. But just getting a reaction from Carrion had her heart beating faster once more, and knowing she could make him angry gave her small victory. If she could make him angry, what else could she make him feel?

"You agree to marry me Candy?" he asked, the smirk on his face something Candy knew she'd never be able to grow accustomed to. While he was filled with rage, he acted on instinct. The cruel smile showed cunning, and thoughts. "Bear my children, and suffer my presence in your bed Candy. Don't try to pretend it is something you desire. I can see in your face that it is not."

I thought of what being his wife truly entailed sounded even more horrific now that it had been spoken by Carrion. Before it had always been in Candy's mind, something of her own creation. But if he was thinking it too… Candy wasn't sure she liked the idea of being in Carrion's most intimate thoughts. How had imagined her? Had he considered their wedding night?

Candy closed her eyes. She didn't know how she could bear it, when the time came, what would she do? She'd survive somehow, she'd have to. She refused to go home.

"I accept," Candy said resigned.


	17. Painting Over

**A/N: **I have a few chapters already written out that I managed to get done whilst away on holiday, so I'm trying to quickly write them up and get them posted. There is little point in having them sitting around! Thank you for all the reviews guys! xx

**Painting Over**

Candy left the hospital to find that the press was waiting for her outside. By following Lord Carrion, they had struck gold and now had their front-page story for tomorrow. Candy tried to turn her face to Carrion as much as she could manage, so that they would not get a clear shot of her looking so ill and bedraggled. Since Carrion was holding her up, his iron grip was digging into her fragile arm to keep her steady. Candy hadn't done anything wrong, and yet she felt as if these people, all clicking their cameras and shooting flashes of light into her eyes, were hounding her. Candy wondered whether pictures of her pitiful state might inspire some sympathy in the press, and the general populace, who so far seemed rather unimpressed by her.

Melissa was already in the carriage, her luggage strapped to the back. She gave Candy a tentative smile as she climbed in beside her.

"Is, er, everything OK?" Melissa asked observing her daughter's pale and expressionless face. She didn't know what Carrion had wanted to talk about, but whatever it was hadn't made Candy smile.

"Fine," Candy said shaking herself out of her reverie. "I'm fine, everything's fine."

The journey back to the tower was uncomfortable. Candy felt Carrion's eye on her for long periods of time, and even when she looked up, he continued to stare. Closing her eyes, Candy tried to ignore him, and pretend to be resting with her head against the window. She was aware by her reflection that her appearance was shocking, and that she looked a million miles away from the girl that had first arrived in Midnight. Scowling, she wondered how much more staring from curious servants she'd have to endure this time around. However when she arrived, her welcome party only consisted of Peta, Lola, Suzette and Letheo. Behind them, looking very annoyed at being forced to stand outside in the cold, Bill Quackenbush scowled at the carriage. Candy looked away as his eyes meat hers. She didn't want to have to speak to him, and as far as she was concerned, once he'd fulfilled his duties in giving her away, she never wanted to see him again. Stepping out of the carriage, Candy felt Carrion tug her arm, moving her to one side.

"There will be dinner this evening, I hope that your maids will make you presentable?"

Candy gaped at him. His callous manner of referring to her appearance sank her confidence. Did she look so dreadful that even make-up couldn't cover it up? Rather than reply, Candy curtsied. She had nothing to say to him, and everyone was staring. She was glad when he left her outside with her friends, taking Letheo away him. Lola seemed to give the boy a lingering look, which quickly vanished when Candy addressed her.

"Lola I'd like to speak with you," Candy said, knowing she'd broken all the rules by acknowledging her before Peta. Candy observed them all before introducing her mother. She watched her father scowl one last time before turning his back on her and walking back into the building.

"Where should Mrs Quackenbush have her rooms?" Peta asked as they walked up to Candy's apartment, steadily ignoring all the questioning stares from the other inhabitants of the tower.

"Not with Candy's father," Lola volunteered, having seen first hand the cruelty of the man. Candy nodded, hoping that her mother couldn't hear this conversation.

"Peta I know that you will be able to find acceptable rooms for my mother," Candy said stopping the procession.

Peta curtsied, and asked Melissa to follow her. She knew that Carrion was planning to finalise the engagement tonight, she could just feel it. With both Candy's parents now on the island, and with both their signatures procured, it would leave little room for any loopholes should Candy later change her mind. Peta was sure Candy's return would be greeted with joy, as Mater Motley had been roaming the twelfth tower in her absence, putting the fear of death into everyone. With Candy's return, Peta was sure every servant would realise just how nice it had been to have a kind girl in charge, rather than a monster. With Peta and her mother gone, Candy turned to the others and continued to her room.

"I need an image change," Candy declared upon entering her room. "I want all this stuff gone," she said waving her hand across the room. "Carrion sees me as a little girl, and all this cute stuff is doing little to help!"

Candy kicked a light blue cushion across the room in her fury. She couldn't stand the image she was giving the world. She might as well stand on the roof and scream out: _I'm a little helpless girl, go on everyone take a punch, treat me like crap, you know I wont fight back! _The cushion came to rest by the window, and brought with it an awkward silence, as Candy fought to calm herself down. Suzette grabbed the rest of the blue cushions, and hugged them to her chest.

"OK, but can I have them?" she asked, thinking they were too nice to be gotten rid of.

Candy shrugged not caring. It would sad to see everything go, Candy thought looking around. The things she'd furnished the room with were lovely, and must have cost a fortune. But what did anyone around here care, if she was going to be Queen of Midnight; she'd spend what she liked. Something had to change. Carrion would never treat her like an equal if she didn't behave like one.

"Alright, the cute stuff goes, but what are you going to replace it with?" Lola asked looking around. "They'll be nothing left!"

"I'll go shopping tomorrow," Candy declared rashly. "What's the point of getting married if you can't spend some money!"

Lola glanced worriedly at Suzette, but the other girl was busily eyeing up the furniture. Candy would make a lot of people happy if she threw this stuff away. Perhaps she might be persuaded to move it to another apartment. Candy seemed to be thinking along the same lines also.

"No, wait. I'll just take stuff from around the tower. It's mine now right? I'll just order it to be brought here!"

"I think you better speak to Mrs Minow," Lola muttered, worried at this new irrational Candy, who finally seemed to have put all her worries about becoming a bride to the side. But the change seemed too quick, she'd been a nervous wreck before going missing. Lola was concerned this new appearance of confidence of confidence was just as double bluff to the world, a shield to hide behind.

"But I don't want anything of sentimental value to Lord Carrion," Candy continued lost in her own thoughts. "Min will know what I can and can't take."

"I don't think the Lord of Midnight is sentimental about anything, especially not furniture. He's not even concerned over people, when he's had enough, he just throws them out the door!" Suzette said, forgetting to whom she was speaking, too distracted over cushions and drapes. Lola gave her a warning look to hold her tongue. She wanted to tell the other girl to shut up, but that would only make Candy want to know more. If Suzette had any sense she'd stop talking now. "Min was telling me about the last girl, Mollie Something… you remember, she was in the papers."

Lola felt her heart quicken. Why couldn't Suzette just be quiet? She could tell that this comment had interested Candy, as she had stopped stomping about the room and was now looking their way.

"Suzette, how about we start moving this stuff?" Lola asked grabbing the arm of a chair. Where was Peta? She'd have put a stop to this madness by now.

"What girl?" Candy asked, suddenly feeling a chill. She knew she wasn't the only girl Carrion had paid attention to; Miranda DeWinters was proof of that. But speaking about it brought it home. She was a young inexperienced child, about to marry a serial womaniser, and she was seriously out of her depth. Unable to flirt like the others, Candy knew the only thing different about her was her innocence and blushes, and if that's what Carrion found attractive, then Candy was scared.

"The last mistress? She was an actress, one of Pixlar's lot. I guess she decided to up her fame by 'seducing' Lord Carrion. Well, I'm just guessing… but that's what it looked like. She was stunning, you must have seen her in that advert, you know, the one with the creepy Kid selling silk stockings…."

Candy shook her head, but was determined to find out more. She hadn't seen the advert, but she was going to find it. She needed to know who her enemies were, before she met another Kate.

"What happened?" candy asked somewhat shakily.

"Well she apparently strutted around the place for months, pretending to be better than everyone. Wearing her diamonds and fancy clothes. She'd obviously done a LOT of favours for those … if you get my meaning … until Carrion had enough and slung her out."

Lola sat down on the chair defeated. She knew how Candy would take this kind of news, she end up as the scared little girl again. Lola wasn't sure if she didn't prefer power-trip Candy to scared-of-her-own-shadow Candy. She could tell Candy was shifting through this news.

Candy thought back to all the jewels she had been given, the gifts, the beautiful clothes, how many 'favours' would she have to perform in order to earn those? She felt in her pocket, the necklace that had gone missing in the hospital had not been lost after all, only removed when she'd been brought in. It was small and cold under her fingers now, and if that could buy her hand in marriage, how much did the diamonds buy?

"Anyway, that's what Min told me. I never saw her, I was a downstairs servant then," Suzette said.

"That means you never see who you work for, servants like us just pass on the orders," Lola explained; keen to wrap up this conversation. "Mollie's done alright though, she brazened out the shame, played on her gold-digger image and landed a big movie role where she plays a tart with a heart."

Candy quickly sat down, as her legs began to give out. If this plan all went horribly wrong, would she herself become just gossip? Just a story to tell the next girl and then the next.

"Has there been many?"

"Mistresses?" Suzette asked, and then shrugged. "A few I think. They all knew what they were getting themselves into I'm sure."

"Does he have one now?" Candy asked meekly, her voice fading to a squeak. Candy wasn't sure why she wanted to know, in fact if Carrion did have other women ready to do his bidding, then at least Candy would be left alone. But until she walked down that aisle and had the ring on her finger, her place here was unsure. The last thing she wanted was to start fighting for her place against a load of other women.

"I don't think so," Suzette replied trying to recall any rumours. "Although DeWinters appears to be auditioning for the part. I'm sure you're aware already, watch out for her. I'm sure she'd love to be in your shoes, and until you're married, you're fair game."

"Right, that's it!" Lola said sharply, after Candy had turned so pale, Lola was sure she'd faint. "Enough now, Candy needs to get ready and this kind of talk isn't helpful."

Suzette folded her arms; she couldn't stand it when Lola got all high and mighty. Just because Candy seemed to favour her, it didn't mean she was superior. If Candy wanted to ask questions, then Suzette was going to answer them. Goodness knew no one else was going to tell her.

"It's important that she knows," Suzette protested.

"Just because you love sordid stories, doesn't mean everyone else does," Lola disagreed. "Besides, even if Candy knows about every single girl that ever fancied herself in Candy's place, what is she going to do about it?"

Suzette shrugged. If Lola wanted to make everything rosy for her mistress, then she could go ahead, but it hadn't worked very well so far. If she were Candy, she'd want to know everything.

Candy smiled. At last they came to it, what was she going to do? At least there she had a plan, even if it was only a superficial one. Not content with clearing out her room and painting it over, she was determined to re-make herself also. She'd sent Peta away as she knew she'd disapprove, and although the others might also protest, Candy knew she could win them round.

"I'll tell you what I'll do about it," Candy said grinning. "Suzette, I want all of those clothes out. The ones I refused to wear when I first came here. Carrion wants to see me in them, so now he will."

"Yes, but…" Lola began, but Candy cut her off.

"Lola, you can cut my hair."

Candy could tell the two girls thought she had gone crazy, but if she wanted to survive here, then she needed to knock the other pretenders out of the ring, starting with Miranda DeWinters.


	18. New and Beautiful

**A/N**: If anyone is worried about what I've done to Candy, I've just moved her appearance from how she is in book one, to book two. I love Candy's new look in book two.

**New and Beautiful**

As Candy lay in the bath, Suzette sat guard at the door in case someone should try to come in. Lola was sweeping up Candy's hair in the next room and was throwing it on the fire. The weird burning smell filtered through the room, and knowing that Lola was busy, Candy turned to Suzette.

"Will you give me some tips?" Candy asked, climbing out of the tub and wrapping a towel around her. "If you don't mind… about flirting?"

Suzette looked at the door, checked it was closed before helping Candy at her dresser. Her messily cropped hair stuck up at angles after being rubbed by a towel. Her new fringe would now disguise the stitches on her hairline, and she carefully pulled it forward into a style. Suzette had to admit, the shorter style seemed to have given Candy a new sophistication and a kooky appearance. Her long tresses had kept her baby-faced and sweet. Now her high cheekbones shaped her face, and her blue eyes seemed larger.

"Why are you asking me? Why not Lola?" Suzette asked.

"Because Lola is like me. I need to be different, at least for one night, to get his attention. You saw how he dismissed me outside. We might have sorted everything out, and I'm going to marry him, but he doesn't seem too thrilled about it."

"I thought you weren't too thrilled either," Suzette asked, her eyebrow raised. She found it hard to believe Candy had had a change of heart.

"OK I'm not 'thrilled'. But this is what I've chosen, and if he changes _his_ mind, what am I going to do?" Candy asked.

"So, the plan is to hook him in long enough to get the ring on your finger?" Suzette asked, staring to see Candy's point. If Candy could hold his attention long enough, then she get to where she needed to go, and if he lost interest afterwards, then it wouldn't matter anymore. Candy would be set up for life, Carrion could do what he liked.

"Nice," Suzette said impressed. Although it seemed a little heartless, Candy wasn't in a position to do much else. Besides, she'd done a pretty good job at pretending so far, better than anyone would have expected in any case. "Sure, I'll help you, if I can."

Candy smiled. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to keep up this new show, but at least she could try. There was no harm in that.

"I know you have admirers, that's where you go all the time, isn't it? How do you do it?" Candy asked. She wished she'd been given the chance to speak to boys her own age, and be like the other girls around her. But she never would now. She'd have to get her experiences second hand through her friends.

Suzette carefully combed Candy's hair as she thought. Everyone could flirt, but to do it consciously and for a purpose, now that was different. But Candy was right, the others couldn't help her. They had been good girls, where as Suzette had always liked to have the boys attention. If Candy wanted tips, then Suzette would share whatever she had.

"OK, so you are at a dinner. You'll be on display, so you can't be too obvious. Besides, if you are, Carrion will know something is up, and that's not good. But if you can, try and touch Lord Carrion as much as possible."

Suzette saw Candy freeze at that suggestion.

"Well, you'll have to get used to it sometime," Suzette added. Candy nodded, but kept her thoughts to herself. "Brush against him. Offer to fill up his glass. Touch his hand or arm as you speak to him. Remember to smile," Suzette said, bending over Candy and giving her a sweet smile and touching her hand. "See, easy!"

"Easy," Candy repeated rather doubtful. "Right."

* * *

Peta was feeling exhausted and harassed as she hurried towards Candy's room. She had barely had a chance to locate a free room when Melissa had received a message. Since Carrion seemed to do everything spontaneously these days, bringing home brides, then throwing them out, Peta wasn't surprised to find that tonight's dinner would now be a lot more important than just a regular night.

"I thought everything had been sorted," Melissa commented settling herself in her room, leaving her bags by the window and sitting on the bed.

"Nothing official has happened here. I don't think there is even a date set yet. Or, at least Candy has not been informed," Peta said, hovering at the window. She wondered whether Melissa would want her to unpack her belongings, or whether she'd want to be left alone.

"My husband should have sorted all of this," Melissa said disappointedly. "The whole deal of Candy being married was his scheme. Yet it seems everything is slipping away. Does Lord Carrion still intend to marry my daughter at all?" Melissa asked. She was beginning to wonder whether Carrion was stalling, and if her husband was to stupid to realise Carrion might not have honourable intentions at all, then she'd have to be the one to demand an answer.

"I believe so," Peta said. "Although, there have been some misunderstandings…."

Peta stopped herself. She had never considered that Candy might not get married after all. But there was nothing stopping Carrion from making her just another one of his mistresses and choosing someone else instead. Peta bit her lip and looked out of the window. Perhaps she should keep her opinions to herself from now on. But if Candy didn't become Queen, then what happened to all of _them_?

Perhaps it was selfish, but Peta couldn't go back to working downstairs, not after being above everyone and living an easy life. She couldn't even imagine now the early starts, and chapped hands from scrubbing floors in cold corridors. She'd been spoilt since Candy had turned up, and she didn't want to go back.

By the time she had helped Melissa choose an outfit for the dinner, and given her some tips on protocol, Peta had missed the chaos in Candy's room. She arrived back just in time to see a drastically altered Candy trying to dance with Lola. What struck Peta first was Candy's short hair.

"Step step, turn, no I'm leading remember!" Lola ordered as they clumsily moved around the room. The music hopped along with them, occasionally skipping on the old record.

"I'm rubbish at this," Candy complained, giving up and pushing the needle off the record. "I don't think I can do it."

Suzette's plan of dancing with other men to make herself appear desirable might be a good one, but Candy doubted her ability to be even remember the steps. Since she knew she'd chicken out with the flirting, the dancing idea had seemed the safer bet. Now she was feeling a tinge of despair, she'd be the only woman there with two left feet.

"You just need more practice," Lola said kindly.

Candy huffed and sat down. It was only then that she noticed that Peta had returned. Candy gave her a shy smile, scared of what Peta would say about her new appearance. With her hair messily arranged with a sloping fringe hiding all evidence of her accident, Candy immediately looked older and more self-assured. Powder covered her face to make it flawless, with slight blusher to her cheeks to bring out the colour she had been lacking over the past few days. Dark eye shadow blended into the smudged kohl around her eyes, and with her diamond drop earrings made her appearance striking.

Candy knew her image would surprise everyone, she could barely even recognise herself in the mirror. To finish her look, Candy had allowed Lola to trap her into the black corset that had originally caused her so much fear, along with back silk stockings and high heels. The large black petticoat Candy wore, hung a fraction lower than the dark red taffeta dress over it, finishing at the knee, strapless and tight at the top.

"Mistress," Peta said in awe as Candy stood to show her the dress. "You look brilliant!"

Peta didn't know what had happened in here since she had been gone, but it looked as if Candy was going back into the ring fighting. She noticed that the pretty cushions and soft furnishings had gone missing, and a large mirror with an elaborately carved wooden frame had appeared propped up against one of the walls. Candy enthusiastically walked towards it, and admired herself once again.

"Are the earrings too much?" Candy asked turning her head side to side. "Do diamonds go with the whole, princess of darkness look?"

Lola snorted, but stopped smirking when she saw her sister's face. She could tell Peta's shock was fast turning to concern. Candy would be playing with fire if she went out looking like this, and she wasn't sure what had and hadn't been said in this room.

"The earrings are lovely," Peta said taking charge once more. She pretended to smooth a winkle out of the dress, as she spoke. "Candy are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Of course she does!" Suzette said slapping Peta's hands out of the way. "Candy is going to show Lord Carrion what he'll be missing if he doesn't get on with marrying her. Plus, Miranda DeWinters needs to be taken down a peg… or up her game."

Peta scowled.

"Candy doesn't win anything is Carrion decides he's going to have her tonight!" Peta exclaimed.

Candy turned pale beneath her make-up, and a worried glint showed itself in her eye.

"Well, Candy will just have to say no," Suzette said breezily. "Protest her innocence and play dumb."

"As if he'd give her a choice to say no. As soon as Candy's parents sign the dotted line tonight, Candy is his, to do with as he wants. I hope you've thought this through…"

Candy swallowed. All she'd wanted to do what try and inspire a little interest in him, not get herself ravished before her wedding day. She didn't know who's advice to trust. On one hand if she did nothing, DeWinters could move in a little closer, and take everything that should be hers, making Candy the laughing stock of all. Carrion might not marry her anyway and she'd be trapped here, neither wife, nor favourite, nor able to return home. Or, she could risk making her betrothed a little too amorous.

"I'll take the chance," Candy said, setting her face into a determined expression. "I know I can never go home now. But I will not live here as second best. I'll make Lord Carrion marry me, and I will be the Queen here. I will not be the inconvenient part of a bargain."

Lola high-fived Suzette and grinned wildly. She couldn't wait to see everyone's face when Candy walked into the room. Not only that, but Candy had demanded she accompany her for the evening, as her personal servant, or rather, personal spy. Not only was Lola happy to be singled out, she also wondered whether Letheo might take the time to speak to her.

A knock on the door signalled to Candy that it was showtime. Fixing a smile on her face, and a determination not to be frightened, Candy ordered the door to be opened. Outside Letheo was unable to get his words out, as the vision before him left him stunned.


	19. It’s not actually expected

**It's not actually expected**

Letheo hung back from Candy as they walked along the dark corridors. He thought it was the first time that Candy looked as if she belonged in the gloom of the tower, rather than being like a bright creature captured from another world. He was meant to escort her to the room where everyone was gathered, but couldn't bring himself to walk in front of her and miss out on watching her long legs, and the sashay of her hips.

Carrion was doing everything in state this evening, probably to frighten Candy's parents and prevent them from asking questions. Although Letheo suspected it was Carrion himself that was going to be surprised this evening, and if he wasn't then there was something wrong with him. No man was going to look away from Candy Quackenbush. Not only was she naturally alluring, but her beautiful clothes and jewels placed in a different league to every other woman Letheo had ever seen, at least in real life in any case. He certainly hadn't expected the dramatically changed Candy that he had collected from her room. The girl that had returned from the hospital was long gone; all that was left of her was the sharp shoulder bones showing from above her low backed dress.

Lola was walking beside him, with a self-satisfied smile on her face, as if all this had come about because of her. Letheo doubted that, but it was the first time he had seen her in clothes other than her uniform. Her dress was pale pink, and made a whispering noise across the floor as she walked. She caught him looking, and widened her grin. He knew that she was flaunting her skin for him, and his heart swelled with the knowledge that someone was smiling at him. Lola flicked her hair, and a sweet smell of perfume washed over him, leaving him with a dopey smile on his face.

As Candy passed by servants, they made no attempt to conceal the stunned expressions on their faces. After being told Candy had returned from the hospital, and with rumours passed around that she was looking close to death, Lola wasn't surprised that they stared. She noticed Candy was looking uncomfortable under their gazes, and quickened her pace to be beside her.

"I guess they were expecting you to be brought out in a wheelchair or something," Lola said looking around. As they walked down the stairs, she could see that Candy was covered in goosebumps, and was holding onto the rail tightly. The servants were no peering over the top of the banisters on the above floor, and the quiet hum of hushed voices followed them down to the next floor.

"I feel a bit sick," Candy admitted as they reached the entrance hall. She took a deep breath and caught her reflection in a nearby mirror. Her face didn't show the worry she felt inside. A stranger looked back at her, but the reflected Lola was smiling.

"See, it's OK. Just remember you're in disguise, you can be brave tonight," she said, hoping Candy was going to make it. Her mistress smiled, and took another breath to steady herself.

"You're right," Candy said, turning to Letheo, "Open the door for me please," she said fixing her smile and straightening her back, "I'm ready."

* * *

The room was filled with people, all happy to have received an invite to the most prestigious party of the year… at least so far. It had only been disclosed last minute that the occasion was Lord Carrion and Candy's official engagement celebration, and so the guests' preparations had been done in a hurry. Most who were well prepared had already purchased their gifts, others had been left in a panic.

But however they came to be there, the room was full with chatter and excitement. That was, at least until Candy's name was announced and all eyes turned towards her and a hush fell over the guests. Some seeing Candy for the first time marvelled that such a girl could ever have been caught into a marriage at all, thinking she would be happier enjoying the gifts and attentions of her many suitors. But the few that had met the shy girl of before had to do a double take.

Candy scanned the room; it was easy to find Lord Carrion within the swarm of people who'd descended upon the tower. As Candy's eyes passed them, the guests lowered their heads, bowed and curtseyed, but not a single one lowered their eyes. Equally prepared to stare at her was Carrion, who was standing across the room by the fire. The flames were illuminating his face in a decidedly animated way, constantly changing where their shadows fell. But it was a moment before Candy realised that the spark that shone in his eye was not just a reflection of the fire. His gaze towards her had always been intense, but had never been exclusive. Now she was the only thing in the room worth his notice.

Candy couldn't break her gaze away from him, he seemed to have her pinned to the spot, unable to move. She gave him a shy smile and slowly curtsied, lowering her gaze at last out of respect. However when she looked back up, she found he was still staring at her. Feeling a shiver run across her skin, Candy made her way towards him, hoping that Lola was keeping near to her. But she'd only managed to take a few self-conscious steps before she was stopped.

Lola followed her, scanning the room more closely and since no one was paying much attention to her, it gave her free reign to stare back at them all. She watched Letheo walk up and speak to a well-built man standing half concealed in the shadows, his face was marred by criss-crossing etchings across his cheeks and his heavy brow was furrowed. His gaze met Lola's briefly before he looked past her to Candy. His imposing presence was keeping the other guests at bay, and although Lola didn't know whom he was, she knew instantly that he wasn't a guest.

Turning her attention back to the situation in hand, she moved nearer to Candy as she studied the man that had halted their progress. He was a portly man with a large stomach, proudly covered with a bright blue jacket with brass buttons. Big black boots covered his short stubby calves and dark red breeches finished the ensemble. Lola wondered whether he was related to a bird of paradise, with his shock of red hair sticking up on his head.

"Madam!" he cried, "I must congratulate you on this most happy time." As he spoke, his voice so loud it stopped the speculative glances coming his way. Everyone could hear what he was saying anyway, so there was no point in wondering. The other guests returned to their own conversations, safe in the knowledge that if anything interesting was said, then they'd hear it anyway.

"Thank you," Candy replied trying to be gracious. She was a little shy of his exuberance, and wasn't sure what she'd done to warrant such flamboyant attention. Her gaze flicked over to Carrion, and found that he seemed to be watching even more intently than before, which Candy hadn't imagined could be possible. Feeling uncomfortable, Candy smiled nervously.

"And if I might be so bold, you are looking radiant this evening," he continued.

Candy tried her best bashful smile, and modest turn of the head. She didn't want people thinking she was conceited, however nice it might be to be complimented.

"You are very kind…" she replied, then realising she had no idea who he was, trailed into hopeful silence.

"Captain Rossal," he said extending his hand, and then kissing hers when she accepted the gesture. "I operate a trading company from Pyon to Gorgossium, and other hours too of course. A very successful company I might add," he said, supplying the information with a puff of his chest.

"I'm glad to hear business is booming," Candy replied from a lack of anything better to say, and leaving herself feeling like an idiot. But her words seemed to please him, as if he couldn't have heard anything better from her… unless he was just being a really good sport.

"Thank you madam. But please, if I may introduce my wife?" he said stepping to the side.

A girl that had been speaking to another group of people turned to greet Candy with an enthusiastic smile. Candy was stunned for a moment, as the girl's tiny frame revealed a protruding bump of pregnancy threatening to topple her over. The girl's appearance was striking, with shaved blonde hair revealing tribal markings covering her scalp, and the largest green eyes Candy had ever seen. But what struck Candy the most was her youth, she looked even younger than her! Not that her husband could be that old either, but certainly older in comparison.

"My wife Tabitha Rossal," the captain said proudly.

"Blimey, when are you due?" Candy sputtered before she even realised what she was saying. She hoped she hadn't offended the woman, since it wasn't much of a greeting. But she couldn't seem to keep her eyes of the gigantic bump, how the girl was still standing was anyone's guess.

"Any minute now," Tabitha replied holding her stomach protectively. "My husband didn't want me to come here tonight," she said looking at him affectionately. "But I convinced him that it'd be fine, we couldn't turn down an invitation such as this! I'll be seated near to the door… just in case."

She smiled nervously, unsure how Candy might take the news of potentially having her evening ruined by the wonder of childbirth.

"You must be very excited," Candy replied, once again wondering why anyone wanted to talk to her at all. She had no clue what to say to an expectant mother, since no one she knew had ever had a baby, at least not someone of her own age.

"Yes," Tabitha said looking slightly confused. She had been expecting a reply along the lines of, 'well enjoy the evening' and she'd have been happy with that. "It is our first child."

"In that case, congratulations!" Candy said sincerely. "I may suggest, if I am not available to assist you, should you need something," she looked pointedly at the bump, "that you speak to Lola, she looks after me…"

"You are a maidservant?" Tabitha asked intrigued.

"Yes," Candy replied on Lola's behalf. "But a friend first, and if you need help, she's never failed yet."

Candy's words made Lola's heart swell with pride, but she wondered why Candy was offering her up as a potential birthing partner, since she knew diddly-squat about babies. But the offer had left Tabitha and her husband stunned, they expressed their thanks and stepped out of the way so Candy could continue her journey.

"I don't know what the big deal was," Candy muttered as they walked slowly through the crowd, smiling graciously and accepting compliments. "Anyone would think I just gave her my diamonds."

"You know, it's not actually expected of you to speak to these people. They're essentially here only to admire you and try and be noticed. Actually being noticed is a mega big deal," Lola explained, trying to be subtle, but loud enough so Candy could hear over all the compliments. "But at least you know your new look is working."

Candy gave her half a smile and took a glass of wine when it was offered. The red liquid was bitter but still full of taste and flavour. She ran it over her tongue for a moment before swallowing, and then drained the glass. There was no point in continuing this evening completely sober, and a little bit of wine in her veins would make it slightly more bearable.

"Lola, do a sweep of the room, I'll be fine now," Candy said, her eyes locking once more with Carrion, and knowing that the time had come to make his acquaintance for the evening.

"Of course mistress," Lola said before melting away into the crowd.

**A/N**: This chapter turned out to be super long, so I'm splitting into two, or three, or however many it takes before this dinner is played out. The general theme of your responses seems to be 'eeeek no don't do it Candy!' However in know the curiosity in you is dieing to know what happens next. :) Don't worry, there is much Candy/Carrion to come in the next few chapters.


	20. The nail in the Coffin

**A/N**: Please note that I cannot remember if I've already named Miranda DeWinters brother in this fic. I wrote a lot about him in a notebook, which I then lost, so I'm starting again. If anyone spots any inconsistencies (with anything) please let me know so I can fix it. I'm feeling sorry for myself at the moment, as I've caught an unforgiving sickness bug. So I'm taking some time off to chill, and update. :) Thank you to everyone that reviewed!

**The nail in the Coffin**

Candy looked up at Carrion as she found him beside her. He had left the hearth to walk the last few steps, which Candy had lost her courage to close. With her heart threatening to burst through her chest with its wild beating, Candy's gaze flickered from the guests to Carrion.

Candy could feel the glass between her fingers, fragile and light in her tight grip. She wondered whether its dainty stem was going to snap as she shivered with fear, or if it would be stronger than it appeared. Carrion was peering down at her, with the same intensity that he had followed her with ever since she'd entered the room. Candy could tell he was trying to appreciate her figure, and since she'd gone to so much trouble to please him, Candy tried a smile and straightened her posture.

"Am I acceptable enough for you?" she asked, knowing that she'd more than surprised him. She could hear that her voice sounded small and frail in the noisy room, but Carrion didn't seem to notice. He took a further step towards her instead, standing uncomfortably close.

"Yes, most acceptable," he said, his voice low. Candy shivered slightly as she felt his breath touch her skin, followed by the sweep of his gaze.

Her thoughts travelled back to the discussion in her room. She gained nothing if Carrion decided to make her his mistress rather than his wife, and the way he continued to stare made Candy think this may indeed be likely. Thinking quickly, Candy stepped back, placed her empty glass on a nearby table, and pretended to check her hair was still in place. The move had put a little space between them without Carrion being offended.

"I must thank you for the diamonds," Candy said holding her earring between her thumb and finger, turning it to catch the light. She looked up at him as innocently as she could manage. "But I was wondering why my finger is still so plain?"

Careful to move her ring finger into view as she spoke, so that Carrion would know what she was referring to, Candy thought he couldn't fail to get the hint. Asking whether or not she would be receiving a diamond ring was the subtlest way she could think of asking what the deal was.

Candy waited politely as Carrion considered his answer. She wondered whether she was pushing her luck, but she hadn't gotten dressed up just to let her small advantage fall by the wayside. However Carrion's eyes seemed to take on a more playful glint, as if he found her daring amusing. He wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what she was referring to, she was asking when their engagement would become official, and when a date would be set. The fact that she cared surprised him, as he had supposed she preferred being left alone.

"Come with me," Carrion said at last, his low voice suggesting many unspoken things. As Candy linked her arm with his, she felt her heart skip a beat and race uncomfortably fast.

As they passed their guests, Candy noted that Lola was speaking with Letheo and a man whose appearance sent a chill down her spine. As she stared he turned to catch her eye, and she quickly looked away. Carrion didn't look at the man with the criss-cross etchings on his face, or even appeared to notice him, just continued to lead Candy through the crowd.

Lola kept one eye on her mistress, and one on Letheo. The man that had filled her with intrigue and worry before had indeed turned out to be in Carrion's employ. He was here to keep the peace, in case the guests decided to get a little merry on the wine. Specially appointed to keep an eye on Candy should Carrion be forced to attend to some business, leaving Candy at the crowd's mercy. This small revelation had been welcome to Lola, who had found the Criss-cross man's attention towards her mistress alarming.

As she watched Candy leave, Lola saw Miranda DeWinters pull her brother out the room into the hallway, probably with the intent of seeing where Candy was being taken. Unable to cross the room without attracting attention, Lola was forced to let them go and had to imagine what they were up to instead.

* * *

John DeWinters was a genuinely clever man, who had found life had treated him well because of it. His mind was respected by many, and had been discovered by Lord Carrion whilst he had been involved in playground politics with his schoolfellows. A job had been offered to him upon his graduation, and he had climbed the ladder of ambition ever since. His rise to exchequer had brought his family the glory they had been aiming for since his birth. As the family name was steeped in honour and commanded respect, it did not equal wealth. The money had been all spent long before he and his sister had come into being.

Miranda's ambition in life was money, it drove her from friend to friend, always looking for what profit she could make at their expense. Usually she found her way and desires unblocked, never thwarted in her attempts to 'fund the lifestyle she was entitled to' until she'd set her sights on Lord Carrion. John thought she was crazy; there were plenty of rich men in the Abarat all waiting to be trapped; yet his sister had always aimed for the very top.

"Ha!" John said after seeing that the hallway was empty. "So that is the little girl you were talking of? The one that you were going to crush?"

Miranda blushed a deep shade of red, as she realised she'd greatly underestimated her rival. Candy Quackenbush had managed to shake off the 'little girl lost' act faster than Miranda had expected. She'd felt sick when she'd watched Carrion lead Candy from the room, the look in his eye that had been once directed at her, turned on another. Perhaps she had been too hasty in succumbing to him, perhaps he preferred his women to be idiotically clueless?

"It doesn't matter. He's probably bending her over a table right now," Miranda hissed, her voice full of cruelty.

"You are crass," John replied, not having much time for his sister's jealousy. It only interested him when he was laughing at her.

"He'll have his fun, then realise how boring she really is."

John doubted this, yet he kept his mouth closed. Candy Quackenbush had been here long enough now, but the steady rumour continued that she remained a virgin untouched. If Carrion could wait this long, what was a few more days? A union in wedlock was more appealing than a quick moment in a darkened room, especially when so much effort had been spent in bringing the girl here and announcing the banns.

"Then he'll come crawling back," Miranda said merrily. "Besides, what does a virgin know?"

"People don't stay virgins Miranda, they tend to learn pretty quick," John counselled with a smile.

Miranda gave him a disgusted look, flicked her hair back over her shoulders and walked back into the busy room. Without Carrion, she was free to make her own fun with the rest of the drooling men.

John leant back against the wall, hiding himself in the shadows. Intending to take a moment to himself, before having to listen to more pointless chatter, John froze as he spotted a young girl step out from behind a statue where she had obviously been spying upon his conversation.

Peta had remained hidden, not daring to look at the pair speaking, but recognising their voices. Hearing silence she had ventured out into the corridor, taken a few steps, only to be apprehended and pushed against the wall. Gasping she stared back at John DeWinters.

"Well," he said leaning close to her face. "What have I found? Were you waiting for me Miss?"

"N-no," Peta stuttered, her eyes wide and her heart fluttering. She couldn't seem to fight him off, but simply stared.

"Who are you?" he asked looking her up and down, her plain clothes marked her as neither servant nor party guest.

"I work for Mistress Quackenbush…" Peta managed to squeak out.

"Your name?"

"Peta," she replied, losing her nerve and only managing a whisper.

"So, pretty Peta, are you a spy?" John asked, amused at how she could no longer meet his eyes. The blush across her cheeks seemed to glow in the dark hallway.

"I wasn't spying, I was going home… I…"

"Going home?" John repeated with a grin. "Would you like some company?"

Peta's look of horror only made DeWinters' grin grow larger. But before he could say anything further, the door to the busy room burst open, and a doppelganger of the girl he was holding hurried out. She skidded to a stop when seeing the scene before her.

"Oh, er…" Lola muttered surprised, her eyes quickly taking them in. The way the man was holding her sister alarmed her. "I think you should let my sister go now."

Lola didn't know what was going on, but she was willing to bet that it shouldn't be happening. Peta looked relieved when DeWinters stepped back, bowed to them both and rejoined the party. His smirk remained as he closed the doors on them.

"Got caught then?" Lola asked, noting that Peta was rubbing her arms as if shivering with cold.

"I'm going home to see mother," she replied not looking Lola in the eye. "Please tell Candy…. And tell her to watch her back. Miranda means to injure her."

Lola didn't reply, it was not a moment for jests. She had the feeling whatever she had just stumbled upon had not been consensual. Candy was still missing with Carrion, and Lola had no idea where she could be. After watching Peta hurry down the hall, Lola then wandered in the other direction, listening for voices.

* * *

Candy had been surprised to find her parents sitting in silence in the room Carrion brought her to. The fire was burning, but only her mother chose to feel its warmth. Bill Quackenbush was on the opposite side of the room, admiring an expensive looking paperweight of silver.

Carrion walked towards the table, and examined the document laid out before him. The large feather quill lay next to an inkpot, with the stains of ink already upon it. Carrion smiled as he observed the two new signatures.

"Thank you Mr and Mrs Quackenbush for your cooperation. You may now rejoin the party."

Candy knew this was no request, and dutifully her parents moved for the door. Her father didn't look at her once, but her mother smiled briefly in encouragement. Bill's walk was filled with confidence, as if all his wishes had finally come true, but with no thanks to Candy. Once they had closed the door, Carrion held out his hand.

"Come closer," he beckoned.

Candy stepped forward and took his offered hand.

"If you sign this contract, our engagement cannot be broken," Carrion explained. He dipped the ceremonious quill into the ink, and held it out for Candy to take.

Candy accepted it with a shaking hand, and stared at the paper. She moved her hand down to the space over her mother's signature, and noticed that Carrion had not yet signed. Her hand hesitated as she noted her mother's tidy writing, her father's lopsided scrawl and a very elaborate signature higher up the page. If she signed this, she put the final nail in the coffin and sealed her fate.

A nervous glance at Carrion showed him to be patiently waiting.

"Anywhere?" Candy asked, pretending her moment of doubt was only based on not being sure where to put her name.

"Anywhere," Carrion repeated.

Candy swallowed and signed her name, the quill scratching on the parchment. Thankful that she had not caused any ink splotches, Candy handed to quill to Carrion. Now that all the players' hands had been shown, and all signatures only to be scratched out upon the owners death, Carrion committed himself. He wondered whether Candy understood the significance of the contract, maybe she knew that effectively owned her, but did Candy know she had just become his equal in everything?

"Happy?" he asked.

Candy found herself confused. She had got what she wanted, but she would not call herself happy. She wondered what Carrion expected to hear as her reply, and what he would take as a lie. Candy knew he would not tolerate a lie.

"What answer would you believe Sir?" Candy asked, returning his question with one of her own. _No_ would not be true, but _Yes_ would be a lie. Carrion looked as if whatever had been planning to say next had disappeared, and he regarded her with a questioning.

Collecting the document, Carrion rolled it and placed it in a large tube, securing the lid. This he placed in a hidden cupboard behind a tapestry, and turned the lock, hiding the key in his pocket. He regarded Candy once more, as if she puzzled him greatly.

"Maybe neither of us can be made _happy_ by this," he said, his voice a cross between irony and regret.

Candy looked away, knowing that whatever he was thinking, it was making him fall into despair. Seeking to change the subject, Candy's stomach grumbled softy. She looked up with an embarrassed flush across her face.

"I guess I'm pretty hungry…"

The light remark cleared the heavy atmosphere between them, and allowed Carrion to lead her from the room, and back towards those more lively and with less cares.


	21. Finding the Bridge

**A/N: **Well I finally recovered from my illness, that's two weeks of my life that I would like to forget every happened. To celebrate, here is the next chapter! Thank you for the reviews everyone, you're all keeping me motivated!!

**Finding the Bridge**

Candy gave her mother a small smile as she and Carrion walked by, leading the way into the dining hall. Everything was so final now. There would be no more guessing, no more misunderstandings. Candy would be married to Carrion, and that would be the end of it. Of course the next logical question would be, how quickly would Carrion want to be wed? One half of Candy wanted it over with quickly, to put an end to all the speculation. Then again, once married it would be forever, and therefore there was little point in hurrying.

The dining room almost took Candy's breath away. The table was covered in glittering silver and white. Huge bouquets of white flowers surrounded the room, and miniature versions decorated the table. Candy felt a swell of pride for the people that had put this arrangement together, they deserved a big thank you when this was over. They'd given her something beautiful and elegant to be a part of, and it was hard to be frightened when so much effort had been made to make you happy.

Carrion showed Candy to her seat at the end of the table, and Candy was happy to see that Lola had taken a seat just one away from her on the left, with Captain Rossal and his wife directly on Candy's right. Candy gave them a warm smile, and arranged her skirt so that the petticoats all pointed in the right directions. To her relief the DeWinters were seated towards the middle of the long table, neither near her nor Carrion. She wondered who had decided the seating plan, as it seemed to be working out very well for her. Looking over at the door, Candy saw that Letheo was directing people to different parts of the long table. The Criss-cross man's presence behind him was preventing anyone from complaining.

Candy wondered whether she had made a friend of Letheo, even though she didn't know how she'd managed it. Maybe it had something to with Lola, after all, they had been speaking to each other a lot over the past few days. Or perhaps Letheo was merely following Carrion's orders, although Candy couldn't imagine him being so considerate.

A tiny old woman who wore huge glasses that magnified her eyes, took a seat between Lola and Candy. She didn't seem to know where she was, and sat quietly waiting for her dinner. Candy shared a puzzled look with Lola, and shrugged. But Candy wasn't going to underestimate her, the old woman might be a spy for all she knew and she'd been deceived before on appearance. Intending not to say anything that could get her into trouble, Candy smiled at anyone who looked her way and wished the dinner might end soon. As lovely at it was to be admired, being stared at was hard work.

It was after pudding, when everyone had had their fill of food and wine that the conversations started to get louder and less coherent. The old woman next to Candy had fallen asleep in her chair, having only spoken a few words all evening, by asking for gravy and for the salt. Carrion looked as bored as Candy felt and although moving from the dinner table might mean she'd have to speak to him again, Candy thought it might be preferable to listening to other people laughing about things she couldn't hear.

Bill Quackenbush was having a wonderful time. He was centre of attention at his part of the table, regaling everyone with the details of his daughter's engagement. Telling anyone that would listen that he had signed the contract tonight, and that the wedding would definitely be going ahead. He also told everyone of the settlement he was to receive, which would allow him to retire to the life he deserved. Candy couldn't hear everything that was said, but could guess that her father would be speaking with as little tact as possible. Melissa looked as if she was wishing the ground would swallow her up where she sat, rather than listen to another moment of Bill's gloating.

"Candy, look at Miranda," Lola whispered.

Candy reached for her wine, and stared down the table. The blonde woman looked as if she'd eaten something very bitter. Bill's merry laughter seemed to be causing the affliction, and Miranda was looking at him as if she'd very much like to strike him.

"There was something going on earlier," Lola added, leaning back in her chair as servants began clearing the dishes.

"What do you mean?" Candy asked, unable to keep her eyes from her father, lest he decide to do something embarrassing. "When?"

"When you disappeared with Carrion. You should of told me where you were going, I was worried," Lola chastised, making sure that no one was listening to them. But the clearing of the dishes was making a big enough diversion and some of guests were already leaving the table, so no one was listening.

"I didn't know where I was going," Candy replied. "I couldn't very well demand Carrion tell me, so I could let you know!"

Lola realised she was making Candy angry and changed her tone. She'd only meant that she'd wanted to make sure she was OK. But Candy had enough pressures on her right now, the last thing she needed was someone else nagging her.

"I went looking for you, but found Peta and Mr DeWinters instead…"

The Rossals took this opportunity to stand up, causing a pause in Candy and Lola's conversation, where Candy politely refused Captain Rossal's offer to escort her into the next room. Promising to join them soon, Candy watched them leave. The DeWinters were already gone, along with Candy's father and Lord Carrion. Melissa had been surrounded by a group of woman all speaking very loudly about Candy's dress and jewels.

"What, together?" Candy asked confused, as far as she was aware Peta didn't know the DeWinters in a personal sense.

Lola shrugged.

"I don't know what had been happening, but Peta told me to tell you she was going home, and to watch your back."

Candy wasn't sure what to make of this; she supposed she would have to wait until Peta returned to work to find out. But in the meantime, if it was a warning against the DeWinters, then Candy figured she had the upper hand at the moment. In a sense she'd already won, there was nothing Miranda could do to break her engagement. Candy was sure that if she was bound by the contract, then so was Carrion, and it wouldn't be worth his while to break it.

"I feel like going for a walk," Candy declared, pushing her chair back and standing. "Clear my head a little. Will you come with me?"

Lola nodded, but wasn't keen on just walking out of the room without informing someone. Carrion might have more surprises planned, and Candy wouldn't be too popular if she disappeared without warning. As Candy became caught up in more of her guests' well wishes, and making polite replies, Lola located Letheo.

"Candy wants a moment to herself, I think," Lola said knowing he'd pass the message along to Carrion. "Too much attention makes her nervous."

Letheo looked past Lola to where Candy was still smiling and nodding at people. He could see that the people around her, although respectful were full of exuberance, standing a little too close, touching her whenever they could. Letheo had the impression that Candy was simply a curiosity to them, which they couldn't help but prod and poke, examining from every angle.

"Yes, I understand," Letheo replied. "The wine has made them over familiar, Lord Carrion will not like this."

Lola smiled nervously. It would not serve Candy for Carrion to become angry, although she didn't desire to be of interest to everyone, he might believe she'd encouraged it.

"I am sure that we will return shortly," Lola said uncertain.

Candy was feeling slightly annoyed now, she'd tried politely to make her excuses to leave, or to usher the guests into the next room, but no one was taking much notice. Eventually she saw that Lola had returned, and Candy stepped towards her as if she wished to speak to her alone.

"If you will excuse me," Candy said with a slightly haughty voice, since no one was listening to her kind one. A sudden hush fell over her company and they finally let her go, looking rather abashed and back in their place.

Candy glided out of the room with Lola following, and slumped against the wall in the hallway. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She didn't feel well enough for this, she felt shaky and weak, and no amount of make-up and jewels could disguise that. Eventually when the world stopped spinning, and Candy became aware of herself once more, she opened her eyes and gazed down the dark corridor. Laughter and the buzz of conversation drifted towards her through the silence, which seemed to make Candy more determined to get away.

"Come on, let's find out what is down here," Candy said leading the way.

Lola didn't know this part of the tower, she had never been allowed to go exploring before, and working for Candy had not provided much time for aimless wandering. Perhaps Suzette would have a better idea, since she seemed to do nothing but avoid doing any work, but once again the other girl was off doing whatever it was she did with her time. Candy didn't seem to care however that every corridor they came across looked exactly the same as the last. That was until Candy noticed from the window, that a right turn ahead would lead them over an abnormally long bridge. Pushing the window open, Candy leant out into the night and looked down. They were very high up, and the bridge that connected their part of the tower to the opposite one seemed to float over the abyss.

"Did you know this was here?" Candy asked, enjoying the cold breeze blowing over her.

"No," Lola replied with apprehension.

"So you don't know what is over there?" Candy asked pointing.

Lola followed Candy's gaze. She couldn't be sure, but she could guess. It probably was the rumoured tower that housed Carrion's grandmother. She wondered whether she should tell Candy what she suspected, or if that would only make Candy more interested. She waited for Candy to grow bored and turn back, but Candy was still staring out into the night and at the lights in the tall building opposite.

"I'm going over there," Candy declared, shutting the window forcibly and heading for the bridge.


	22. The enslaved geshrat

**A/N**: I hope that everyone has enjoyed themselves this new year! I have a feeling 2010 is going to be a good one, and since most people seem to be agreeing with me, hopefully there will be lot more smiles this year. Thank you for the reviews guys

**The enslaved geshrat**

Candy walked without realising that she might be heading into confrontation or danger. Lola was hoping that the building opposite would be just as large as the one they were leaving, as she trailed after Candy, that way the odds of meeting something hostile would be slim. But even if they did encounter someone unfriendly, Candy was still Carrion's betrothed whatever side of the bridge she was on, and ultimately had the right to go wandering wherever she liked.

The bridge stretched out in front of them, small electrical lights shone down from alcoves in the windows, lighting their way. But whilst Lola looked around fearfully, Candy strode forward transfixed on the darkness beyond, determined to know what lay beyond it. As they moved closer, they began to hear voices. Feeling only curious, Candy continued until they reached the end of the bridge, and turned into an open room were a small number of people were gathered. No one seemed to have noticed their arrival, and Lola edged closer to Candy.

It soon became apparent that not one of these people had noticed Candy, for the simple reason that no one dared look up at her. As she approached them, they shied back against the walls, keeping their eyes cast down.

"Slaves," Lola muttered, as she gazed around. "See the tags on their ankles."

Candy wondered how she could have missed the large cumbersome tags wrapped around the ankles of the people hanging their heads under her gaze. She had not known that slavery was still legal in the Abarat, but then her view of the world had been forced to remain small.

"Why are they here?" Candy whispered looking around. "What is this place?"

"At a guess mistress, I would say this is Mater Motley's tower, and these are the servants of her …er… servants…" Lola replied, keen to get moving. The masters of these slaves might reappear at any moment, and why were so many masters gathered together? Lola didn't like this at all.

"Excuse me," Candy said towards the nearest man with his head bowed. "What is happening here? Why are there so many of you standing about?"

Candy patiently waited for an answer, but the man shifted his weight on his feet and flicked his eyes around for something safe to look at. He was desperately trying not to look up at Candy, but Lola could tell that by being put on the spot like this by someone he did not know, had alarmed him.

"My mistress asked you a question, I suggest you look at her and answer," Lola said abruptly. Candy gave her a surprised look, but the harsher tone of Lola's voice appeared to have broken through the man's shyness and he did as he was told.

"Mater Motley is celebrating her grandson's engagement, by allowing some of her followers to petition for favours," the man replied, before bowing low and stepping back into the shadows, perhaps afraid he would be questioned further.

Lola tugged at Candy's arm, but she refused to move. Candy didn't know what to make of this place. There appeared to be plenty of hangers-on in Carrion's tower, but as far as she knew, none of those people needed to bring a slave along.

"What kind of favours?" Candy asked the man, before he could hide away.

"All kinds mistress," he replied bowing once more.

Candy turned away; she supposed that was all she was going to receive in way of a reply. Favours could mean anything, and judging from Lola's behaviour, Candy guessed asking for world peace probably wouldn't be on the list.

Gazing about, Candy moved towards some double doors and turned her head to the side, the better to hear if there was any activity on the other side. Lola gave up trying to turn Candy around, and resigned herself to the moment when they would be discovered. Out of the corner of her eye, Lola saw one of the slaves bashfully looking at Candy, but once he caught Lola's eye he looked away ashamed. But it was too late, Candy had spotted him, it was hard not to.

Being a Geshrat, his large orange ears seemed to wilt under their stares. The ragged clothes he wore showed patches of orange skin, which looked to Candy like splashes of paint. But along his bare arms, a dark stain spread across his skin, which Candy realised with a sickening feeling was a bruise.

"Hello," Candy said kindly, "Can you tell me more about what's going on?"

The slave shook his head and looked at the ground. Candy felt guilty now for speaking to him, and smiled apologetically. But before she could say anymore, the sound of heavy thudding footsteps behind the door told them they were soon going to have company. Panicking, Candy looked at Lola and they hurried back from where they'd come, hiding on the bridge with the door ajar.

A tiny man with a mean face flung the doors open with anger, the large hat on his head quivered on his head. He spotted the geshrat at strode towards him looking murderous.

"I knew you had made me late," he said advancing upon the slave, "I had to wait in the line!"

The geshrat cowered as his master approached him, raised his arm and hit him hard across the face. The geshrat fell to the floor, shielding his face, but made no sound or move to defend himself.

"She would not hear me, and it is all your fault!"

At this, Candy made a movement towards the door, as if to stop the tiny man abusing his save, but Lola pulled her back, shaking her head. Too stunned to think, Candy let herself be hushed and confined to safety.

The tiny man kicked the geshrat in the stomach, then fell back as he realised he was no longer alone. He did not seem to count the many other slaves as credible witnesses to his brutality, but another master might make a complaint. Slavery was legal, and discipline understandable, but cruelty was frowned upon yet usually ignored. But it did not do a man's reputation any good to be viewed as overly cruel, bad for business.

"What's going on here then Wolfswinkle?" asked a tall man emerging from the double doors. He had a wry smile on his face as if he knew perfectly well what was going on, but wanted to know what the small man would say.

The man addressed as Wolfswinkle looked down at the geshrat as if wondering what he could get away with, then faced the tall man.

"My slave insulted me," Wolfskinkle said shamelessly.

Lola felt Candy bristle beside her, but she has glad that Candy had the sense to stay hidden this time. Even if they intervened on the geshrat's behalf, there was nothing to say they would do any good. The tall man clearly knew Wolfswinkle was lying and yet was doing nothing about it.

"Oh, well in that case, put the…" the tall man paused and looked at the geshrat still cowering on the floor. "Put the _thing_ in the dungeons, that will sort it out. Give it a real fright. It wont be insulting you again."

Candy frowned.

"They're both a couple of gits!" she hissed and Lola had to agree. "How dare they? That tall man is even worse."

"Oh yes," said Wolfswinkle seeming to regret his lie now, as it was going to lose him his slave to the dungeons. "Good idea… but I don't have the time…"

"I will assist you, it is no hardship," the tall man said grinning. "I insist. Come," he said beckoning two other shy looking people towards him. "Take him to the dungeons," he ordered to the other slaves. "I will follow."

Wolfswinkle looked as if he would very much like to protest about this, but didn't know how to go about it. All he could do was follow dolefully, and hope to reclaim his slave once his 'punishment' was over.

Candy turned stepped back from the door and back onto the bridge. Lola didn't know what Candy wanted to do now, but she was hoping she'd had enough of adventuring for now. Eventually Candy seemed to come to herself and turned around.

"How long have we been here?" she asked looking concerned.

"Not sure… but I am certain Lord Carrion would have noticed your disappearance," Lola replied.

Candy nodded, looking pale once again under the electric lights.

"We had better go back."

* * *

The guests of the engagement dinner appeared to have partied themselves out by the time Candy rejoined them. But still the sight of her inspired another flush of interest and she scanned the room for Lord Carrion. Instead she met the eye of Letheo, and he crossed the room to join her.

"Where have you been?" he asked of Lola, not brave enough to accuse Candy to avoiding the gathering.

"Where is Lord Carrion?" Candy asked ignoring Letheo's question. She could not see Carrion anywhere in the room, but as most of the guests had already left, there didn't seem to be much point in him remaining with the few still lingering to drink wine and gossip between themselves.

Candy noticed that the DeWinters were also no longer in the room either, and hoped that they had decided to leave as well.

"I will take you to him?" Letheo offered stepping back so that Candy could follow him if she liked.

Candy hesitated, then shook her head.

"No, I shall wait… wait for a better time…" she said cryptically. Letheo looked to Lola for an explanation, but she shrugged and Candy kept her intentions secret.


	23. The dungeons

**A/N:** Thank you for reading guys, please keep the reviews coming so that I can get back to you :) It's been so difficult to find the time to update recently, had so many essays to write, plus work, plus all the other stuff you have to take care of in life. Anyway, I got here eventually!!

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**The dungeons**

Candy awoke early, and seeing that she was alone, slowly climbed out of bed making as little noise as possible. She dressed in the dark, afraid to put the lights on lest she draw attention and pulled on trousers and an oversized cardigan. Ruffling her hair to rid it of any would be knots Candy crept out of the room.

Outside and lounging by the fire was a servant girl Candy didn't know. Candy wasn't sure whether she was sleep or just resting her eyes, but either way she had not noticed that Candy had left her room. Candy walked lightly towards the door and escaped into the corridor. She had been lying awake for a long time, wondering how she might go about achieving her aim.

She had not wanted the girls to know where she was going, as although Lola had been with her yesterday, she had not been keen on adventuring where they might find trouble. Therefore there was only one person that might be able to help her. Unless she was very much mistaken, Letheo had taken a liking for Lola's company. So he was unlikely to offend Candy by refusing to accompany her.

Candy had only a vague idea where Carrion's private apartments were, so she lingered in the corridor outside waiting. Eventually she spotted Letheo, he was walking towards her yawning, but ready for duties to begin. As he drew closer, Candy stepped out from the window alcove and called him over.

Letheo looked up with a surprised expression, he regarded Candy for a little while before walking to meet her.

"Mistress?" he enquired politely.

"Is er… My Lord sleeping?" Candy asked looking over Letheo's shoulder to where Carrion's door still remained firmly shut.

Letheo's lip quirked slightly.

"I highly doubt it, Lord Carrion hardly ever sleeps…"

"Oh," Candy replied not really sure how to approach the subject. She decided the best way was to be blunt and ask him outright. "What do you know about Slaves?"

Letheo smirked again.

"Three servants not enough for you, want a slave as well?"

Candy knew he was teasing, and refused to reply until he gave her a straight answer. She'd finally come to understand his disrespectful nature, and knew Carrion must only tolerate it because if you asked something of Letheo, he delivered.

"Alright, so I assume you went wandering into grandma's house… Lord Carrion does not like slaves; he likes greedy people who can be bribed… more reliable," Letheo added once it was obvious Candy wasn't going to argue with him. "If that's the case… what do you want to know?"

Candy bit her lip.

"I saw a slave being taken down to the dungeons, and I want to find him. I want you to help me do it."

"Or what?" he asked.

"Or I'll make life difficult for you, I don't know how just yet, but trust me… I'll find a way," Candy replied seriously. She didn't know why she was so set on finding this particular slave, but something about the way he was being treated spoke more to Candy that had been apparent. Why had that tiny man in yellow reacted so violently to not having his petition heard? He didn't look trustworthy to Candy, and the look in the geshrat's eyes had been fearful. Candy knew she would never forgive herself if she did nothing.

"Fine, I'll help you. You don't need to go making threats," Letheo said looking a little dejected, as if he'd told a joke and no one had laughed. Candy was usually so easy to influence, that he was annoyed that she was starting to throw her weight around. But then everyone played their best cards now and then, and Candy had quite a few.

"Great, come on then," Candy said turning and walking in the other direction.

"Hang on, you mean you want to go now?"

"Well of course, we need to be quick," Candy said still walking back to where she had found the long bridge. She knew Letheo was now trailing behind her, and wondered when he would try and dissuade her from her project again.

"If you want to get to the dungeons, I know a faster way," Letheo offered. "I've been there a few times," he added more to himself than to Candy.

Candy hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to trust him or not, then realising she didn't have much of a choice, followed him in a different direction. After a few minutes of descending what seemed to Candy like never ending stairs, the atmosphere around them became colder, as if no one bothered to light a fire below a certain floor.

Shivering, Candy continued to follow Letheo until her legs ached from the steps, and she began to dread the eventual return journey when she'd have to face the stairs in the opposite direction. As if reading her thoughts, Letheo looked over his shoulder with a grin.

"Don't worry, we'll take a better journey back," he said before coming to a standstill and slowly opening the door before him. "You know, it won't be pretty," he warned the letting the door close softly again.

"I know, I don't expect it to be," Candy replied, but she couldn't ignore the nervous feeling in her stomach.

She had no idea what she might encounter beyond these doors and she didn't even know why she'd decided to do this alone. She was sure that had she just spoken to Carrion, she wouldn't have had to step foot here. But it would have taken too much explaining. Especially since she was still acting on a bad feeling and intuition. But deep inside, Candy knew that she would have to come here eventually. If she were Queen, whatever was happening down here would be happening in her name too.

The air beyond the door was dank and putrid and Candy had to fight back the urge to retch. She stuck close to Letheo and realised that there was no way her adventure down here would remain a secret, there were too many uniformed men standing guard over their prisoners, all able to report to Lord Carrion.

They regarded Candy with interest, obviously knowing who she was, as she was not confronted.

"We are looking for a geshrat. He was brought here yesterday," Letheo informed a guard, Candy didn't know why he had chosen to speak to this particular guard, but Candy supposed he must be in charge.

The guard led them further down the dark corridor, his torch lighting barred cells along the way. Candy peered into them briefly, careful not to look too closely. Se saw people crouched low, or huddled against the wall, trying to make themselves as small as possible. Candy didn't know why these people were incarcerated, but didn't think it was the right time to enquire.

They found the geshrat in a cell on his own, huddled like so many of the others against the far wall. Candy saw that his eyes were bloodshot as the guard held the torch high above him, lighting the cell. The geshrat flinched away from the light, and attempted to hide his face.

"You will stand," the guard commanded. He made to move towards the prisoner, but Candy stopped him.

"No, no, that is not necessary. It is quite crowded in here. Would you mind waiting for us outside? I will call if I need anything," Candy said, giving the guard her most obliging smile, then turning her back on him. The man left.

"Have you come to take me back to my master?" The geshrat asked in a shaky voice. He began to struggle to his feet.

Candy wondered if something had happened to him in the relatively short time that he had been locked away. Unless he had been ill to begin with? He looked very thin, but that could have been normal for him.

"No, my name is Candy Quackenbush. I saw you yesterday, your master, the stupid looking man in yellow had you sent down here. I just… well I wanted to know that you were ok…" Candy said, feeling stupid. She knew if she directed questions at him, he would have to answer them. But she didn't want him to be scared of her.

He peered up at Candy looking even more confused.

"You're to marry Lord Carrion?" he questioned.

"That's right," Candy replied feeling nervous. She wasn't exactly comfortable about that fact. "What is your name?"

"Malingo," he replied still not trusting her.

"And your master is…"

"Kasper Wolfswinkle."

"And he is a good master?" Candy asked.

"No."

She could sense that Letheo was getting jumpy behind her, and she guessed it had something to do with the footsteps that were coming towards them down the corridor. It hadn't taken long for Carrion's spy network to whisper up to the top of the chain. Candy had a pretty good idea who it might be and there became a sense of urgency to her voice.

"If I get you out of here, will you tell me about him, and answer my questions?" Candy fixed him with a piercing stare. Malingo wouldn't have been able to refuse if he'd wanted to. The slight fear in her eyes reminded him of himself and he recognised a fellow trapped creature.

"Anything mistress, if you help me," he agreed.

Candy stepped back and prepared to meet the owner of the footsteps. Her heart skipped a beat, painfully jumping in her chest as Christopher Carrion entered the cell also. Both Letheo and Malingo shrunk back against the walls, disappearing into the background, turning their faces away and bowing their heads.

"My guards do not lie then, you are indeed exploring the dungeons. Though I am surprised I do not find you on the lowest level, crying over the filth that lives there."

Candy blinked, stunned at his harsh words.

"I…" Candy couldn't think of anything to say. There was nothing she could think of to defend herself with, all she could do was stare into his eyes and gape.

"Why this one?" Carrion demanded, pointing at Malingo. "Because it's a geshrat?"

"Please let him go," Candy begged, feeling as though she had greatly overestimated her power over Carrion.

"Who does he belong to?" Carrion asked looking down at Malingo as if he was a piece of dirt.

"Kasper Wolfswinkle," Candy whispered, feeling her heart jump another beat at the look that passed over Carrion's face. Now she was certain that she had been right to be suspicious. Wolfswinkle couldn't be a nobody if Carrion had heard of him.

"And if I allow you this, what will I receive in return?"

Candy looked at Letheo, she could feel her face turning red, but Letheo looked determinedly the other way. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Carrion smirk and knew that she was playing into his hands. Suzette would have told her to stick out her chest, flick her hair and smile. But this was scared little Candy and all her false confidence had disappeared at the thought of being in his debt.

"Letheo take the geshrat to the servants quarters," Carrion ordered then turned to Malingo. "If you reward her by attempting to escape, you will not get far," he warned as the geshrat shuffled past him, grateful to be leaving the cell.

Alone, Candy felt the air touch her shivering skin. But that was nothing compared to the damp cold wall that Carrion pushed her gently against. Feeling her head spin as he leant in close to her, his hands on her face and her hip, Candy gasped quietly and tried to keep her gaze on him. It would not do to lose her head now.

"I'll ask you again, what will I receive?"

"I…err," Candy stammered. She had no idea what to do or say, other than pray that something would come along to save her.

"Well?"

Carrion waited for a response, but her reluctance to play the game seemed to bore him and he stepped back.

"We will return to your rooms, I have things I want to discuss with you and your mother."


	24. Candy acquires Malingo

**A/N:** Sorry for the cliff-hanger delay, but I wrote this chapter, hated it, then re-wrote it completely different. Thank you very much for all the reviews you guys have given me, I hope you like this chapter just as much!

**Chapter Twenty Four – Candy acquires Malingo**

Candy thought there was something strange about inviting Carrion into her rooms, which technically belonged to him anyway. This was where she hid herself away from all the dangers of the hour, and letting her impede upon her sanctuary was unnerving. She held the door open for him courteously, and held her hand out towards the fireplace, directing him to a chair.

Lola had already ordered the fire to be lit, and there was breakfast waiting for Candy on a tray. Since Candy had put a stop to being brought breakfast in her bedroom and being woken up, Lola probably didn't even realise that her mistress had been missing. In fact Lola was nowhere to be seen now, and neither was the girl that had been sleeping on-call.

Feeling hungry, Candy busied herself with buttering toast. Putting the backs of her fingers on the teapot she found that it was still hot and offered a cup to Carrion out of politeness. Carrion took a seat next to the fire and waited for her to sit also. He accepted the tea Candy shakily held out to him and frowned as a drop fell over the side and onto the saucer.

"I suppose you have an explanation for being in the dungeons?" he asked, a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice, as if he had a retort ready for anything Candy might say in reply.

With a napkin, Carrion dabbed at the spilt tea, in manner, which made Candy wonder if she was experiencing some kind of hallucination. Surely the Prince of Midnight did not do things as ordinary as clean up spills and drink tea? Candy stuffed some toast in her mouth, stalling for time.

"Well I… at the dinner I went walking with Lola. Its not that I didn't enjoy the party… its just all those people staring and asking questions… I needed to clear my head," Candy explained, wondering why she was feeling the need to tell him the truth.

Carrion continued to wipe the saucer until Candy wondered whether he some kind of obsessive compulsive disorder about mess. His odd behaviour made her brain come to a halt. She supposed she could make something up if she thought hard enough. But for some reason she felt as if he would see through her if she tried to lie. He seemed to be able to read her all too well, and there was nothing to hide behind here.

"And?" he prompted, his voice low and inviting. Candy felt herself leaning towards him, her plate shaking slightly in her hands.

Candy looked into his eyes for a moment, before the atmosphere became awkward and she turned away.

"And, I found the bridge…" she mumbled.

Carrion leant back in his chair, as if he expected the story to be a long one. Candy wondered whether her story was taking her into danger, but there was something about Carrion than made her want to please him. Especially right now, since he was being so … well normal. If she laid everything out and he forgave her, then everything would all right again.

"So I crossed it, I don't know why, only I didn't know what was on the other side and I just assumed no one would mind," Candy said as innocently as she could. She figured if he thought she had just been curious, (which in part was true) he might lose his interest. However Candy had not really crossed the bridge with a light heart, she had known where she was potentially going, and what she might encounter. She had not spent her time in Midnight with her ears shut; she had heard rumours of the cruelty that occurred.

"And there was this slave. His master beat him because they had arrived late and he had not been successful with his meeting with your grandmother…"

"All this you learnt without being seen?" Carrion asked, his simple question hiding much more beneath it, as if he didn't believe that would be possible.

Candy forced her face to look dumb.

"The man was speaking very loudly, I couldn't help but overhear what he was saying… I was going to leave straight away, but the Geshrat was treated so badly and unfairly… well I couldn't just leave him," Candy finished, hoping that Carrion believed her. Whether Carrion did or not, Candy didn't know. Maybe he didn't really care? All Candy knew was that by sheer chance she seemed to have escaped his anger, in fact he appeared to enjoy the fact that she had no pleasure in seeing the Geshrat suffer. Maybe it went with her 'innocent' image.

"You will have caused a great deal of trouble," Carrion stated, although he did not look angry. Still the playful glint remained in his eye, as if by some strange coincidence Candy's actions had pleased him. Perhaps he was also no friend to the man in the yellow suit.

Candy smirked and looked down at her feet.

"But who have I caused the trouble for?" she asked with an attempt at flirtation, feeling her way through this new direction of conversation. "Not for you, surely?" she peered up at him to check that his eyes had not lost that glint. "I think, that if a man cannot look after his possessions, he has no right to them at all."

It seemed to Candy that she had caused Carrion to pause in his thoughts, but she was unsure what had stirred his interest. Maybe he believed in the same kind of thing; that a possession is only a possession if you manage to hang on to it. Things were easily lost. Or maybe she'd surprised him by the tone of her voice?

All she knew now was that their conversation had come to its end, and if she weren't careful, they'd be sat in silence once again.

"I think I might need to see that nurse again," Candy said, rapidly changing topic, her voice sounding thready and nervous since Carrion's attention was fixed on her now a little too intently. The fire next to them cracked, and Candy saw the light flicker in Carrion's eyes. She caught her breath and pulled back her fringe.

"I'm worried about this stitch," she continued, feeling a little more confident since Carrion seemed to be following the conversation and was now inspecting her healing wound. "I think it's ready to come out," Candy continued.

"I shall arrange it," Carrion informed her leaning back.

And that was that, he'd arrange it. Candy looked away. She'd inadvertently given away her freedom yet again, by handing over her problems for him to sort out. After all she might have been able to return to the hospital and walk through the town again, with a real excuse this time if she had been caught. Now she would have to think of something else.

Again their conversation had come to an end, and Candy could think of no other topic to distract him with. She had been avoiding asking the most important question, but now she could think of nothing more to say. She took a deep breath.

"Why do you need to speak to my mother?"

It did not take Carrion long to answer this one and Candy supposed he had been waiting for her to broach the subject.

"We need to discuss the wedding protocol. I find that your father has only interest in our affairs when it contributes to his own. He has been paid for his troubles, and I have no need of him now."

Candy felt herself shiver at the way Carrion spoke of casting someone off because they were no longer useful to him. It reminded her that she was only here because she was 'useful' to Carrion, as a wife, an ally and future mother to his heirs. When she was no longer useful would he cast her off too? Candy wondered whether she would ever speak to her father again. She had not seen for a long time, and although she did not miss him, her life had never been without him.

Candy was unnerved to find It had not taken Carrion long to see through Bill's pretence and cast him aside as useless. Something else, which added to Candy's theory that Carrion could read those around him very well. Bill had shown his true colours from the moment they had arrived, greedy and unfeeling, something it seemed Carrion did not find appealing.

Candy did not care what happened to her father now, everything had turned out well for him, and if she never saw him again she wouldn't consider it a loss. But that would not be fair trade for all the years or tyranny and abuse that she and her family had suffered. Mostly Candy worried for her mother, who at the end of this would be left with nothing, as it was certainty that Bill would not share his 'fee'.

"Oh, right," Candy mumbled. She felt as if there was something Carrion was saving to throw at her but was purposely trying to keep her guessing. There had been a distinct lack of wedding talk, Candy was as in the dark on the subject as when she had first arrived.

She supposed that Mrs Minow would know more about it, but the old lady did not look in on her anymore, as Peta, Lola and Suzette had taken to their roles with ease, and she was no longer needed to guide them.

They sat in silence again for a while, Carrion staring at the fire and Candy continuing to eat, the toast feeling dry in her mouth. But her heart had calmed itself now, no longer beating the wild tattoo that Carrion usually inspired in her. It appeared they'd come to an impasse in their conversation and the tension was lessened if not completely gone. They sat thus for a while.

The sound of raised voices brought their silence to an end and Candy turned her head towards the door. She expected to see Lola hurry through in her usual haphazard way, maybe carrying linen, or Suzette with fresh flowers.

"Why wont you tell me what happened to you?"

Candy recognised Lola's voice, and immediately felt alarmed. The door opened and Peta hurried in looking bedraggled and flushed. She looked as if she had been crying, but upon seeing Lord Carrion, she dropped her eyes and curtsied. Lola followed her into the room looking equally distressed, copied the curtsy and hastily followed Peta through to the servants' quarters.

Carrion had only looked at Peta for a moment, and Candy wondered whether he had noticed anything at all. It was unlikely that he would care either way, but now Candy felt on edge. She no longer felt comfortable just sitting, she wanted to find Peta and also ask what had happened. She wondered how long Carrion intended to stay and how long before they had this 'discussion' with her mother that Carrion thought was necessary.

"So… um since I liberated the slave," Candy said, forcing herself to sound flippant about the Geshrat, and ignore what had just happened. "Do I get to keep him for my efforts?" She smiled, but it was difficult. Every bit of her wanted to follow Peta and Lola.

"Three servants not enough for you?" Carrion asked. He also seemed disturbed by the interruption to their solitude, and the easy atmosphere became as tense as it had begun.

"I did have _four_," Candy reminded him. "But Mrs Minow is never here now. Plus, I think I should have some kind of bodyguard, just in case. It would make me feel safer."

"You are not in danger here," Carrion replied shortly.

"But we are not yet married," Candy said demurely, dropping her eyes to the floor. "Anything could happen to me before then," Candy added, as if the idea was too terrible to comprehend. But behind her act she knew Carrion would see an element of truth. A reckless guard, or a foolish guest with wandering hands and a death wish might impose upon her, a girl anywhere needed to be careful, a queen in waiting had to be even more so.

"This sounds acceptable," Carrion replied. "I shall expect him to escort you to me for dinner later, where I shall inform your mother of our plans."

Candy didn't have time to feel any foreboding about a second meeting, as following this statement Carrion stood to leave. Not quickly enough Candy got to her feet also, and curtsied as he left. Once the door closed she crossed the room to the maids' quarters and knocked.


	25. The Mysteries of the DeWinters

**A/N:** Thank you as always guys! I will make a promise now that all of the sub-plots all do come together at some point. :)

**The Mysteries of the DeWinters**

By the time Candy reached Peta, Lola was already attempting to find out what had happened to her sister. However Peta was resolutely refusing to talk, and Candy found herself torn between demanding Peta confess to her or letting the girl keep her secrets. But the state of her made Candy think that although Peta might not want to talk, whatever had happened couldn't be ignored.

"Stop fussing Lola, I'm fine," Peta said, standing and pulling a robe over her clothes. Candy noticed that there was a tear at the shoulder of her dress, as if someone had tugged it.

"You are not fine," Candy contradicted her, stepping into the room. "Look at yourself! You will tell me what happened to you, right now. I will allow you to send Lola from the room if you wish."

Candy wondered whether she'd pushed just a little too far with her request, as Peta looked mortified. She stared at Candy for a while, before looking at Lola as if she was considering whether she dared ask her to leave or not. After another moment she took a deep breath and sat down defeated. Candy noticed how she seemed to tremble with every breath she took, and swore that whatever Peta said next she would do her best to help her.

"It was DeWinters," Peta said breathlessly. "He was waiting for me to return and pulled me into an empty room. He kept telling me all these stupid things and touching me. … Then he pushed me into the wall and ripped my dress."

Peta's eyes filled with tears, but this time she did not try to hide them. Lola's expression was outraged, but Candy felt fearful. This was the second time that Mr John DeWinters had approached Peta in this manner, and now Candy knew that he was not just an opportunist. He'd singled Peta out, but now the question was why? Candy didn't want to deny that Peta could attract this man on her own merit, but for someone as important and high-up in Midnight's hierarchy, it seemed unlikely that his intentions were entirely honourable. Candy suspected that his sister was behind all of this somehow, but it all came back the same question. Why?

"You don't think this is as simple as it appears, do you?" Peta asked Candy with a tone of sadness in her voice.

Lola stared at Candy accusingly, as if she dared voice an opinion other than outrage at this event.

"I worry he has some kind of motive for his sudden interest. Or that he might be trying to sweeten you for information maybe. I don't know. Then again maybe he just likes you? I don't know," Candy paced the small room thinking. "All I know is that this is very odd. This is only the second time you have met, and he has behaved very strangely."

"I don't think that he meant to rip my dress," Peta replied, her eyes directed to the floor. "He was trying to stop me leaving."

Lola snorted in disgust, as if this made very little difference to her view of the man. A ripped dressed was a ripped dress to her, all the same if it was an accident or a moment of unwanted passion.

Candy scowled. Once again she had the feeling that if she brought this to Carrion, it would end immediately. But then she would never know the reasons behind DeWinters actions. He could swear he's taken a fancy for a blonde girl, didn't know who she was, and promise not to touch her again. Carrion wouldn't pursue it, why would he?

Just like with Malingo, if she involved Carrion, then she would only ever know what he allowed her to know, and that wasn't enough. She needed to be her own detective, even if that meant taking some risks.

"I've never spoken to him before, I don't even know how he even knows my name," Peta continued. "I was confused at first, but I think you are right to be suspicious Candy. I suspect his sister is behind this, in an attack against you … somehow."

"Well, we'll just have to stick together, and not go anywhere alone," Lola said determinedly. "At least not until we know what is going on."

Candy frowned. She wondered whether life in Midnight would ever just be nice and normal, or whether it would continue to be a long string of random weird events. She hadn't even managed to get married yet, but already she was making a name for herself around the tower, and the newspapers never printed without featuring her somewhere in the pages.

Something from a long ago conversation with Suzette passed through Candy's mind. Carrion had mistresses, that was a certain fact, but what was Miranda DeWinters? Suzette had already warned Candy to be wary of her, and that given half a chance Miranda would take Candy's place in a heartbeat. Maybe she wasn't waiting for her chance anymore? Maybe she was trying to create her opportunity herself.

"What are you thinking Candy?" Peta asked hesitantly.

"That there are two possibilities, either John DeWinters is an innocent man, and his sudden interest in you is genuine, but it somehow aids Miranda. Or he and his sister are in league together and by getting close to you he can harm me. I don't believe for one moment that Miranda would consider his match with you a beneficial one; she'd try and put a stop to it. …"

"It's a mystery. It could be either. I'll feel bad if he really does like you Peta and we are in here being mean about him" Lola said, her happy demeanour starting to return and the previous shock started to wane.

"He pushed me into a wall and tore my dress Lola!" Peta said annoyed. "Even if I was interested, which I wasn't, I wouldn't be anymore!"

Lola ignored her.

"I wonder what would happen if you played back Peta?" she asked in an excited voice.

Peta looked at her sister as if she had run mad. One moment she was ready to Kill John DeWinters, next she was ready to believe Candy's conspiracy theories and play detective.

"No," Peta said shaking her head. "I am not prepared to start leading him on, just so we can work out whether he's a good man or a bad one. I don't want anything to do with him!"

"No one is suggesting you have to," Candy replied trying to calm the situation. "Are we?" she asked of Lola.

"No," Lola said shaking her head demurely, "not at all."

"In the meantime I have a task for you both," Candy said ready to change the subject, they had plenty of time to ponder mysteries later. "I want you to find Suzette and inform her of what has happened. It is best she knows, or the DeWinters could deceive her. Then I want you to find me something amazing to wear for dinner, brief me over how weddings are conducted in Midnight and find my geshrat."

Lola and Peta looked stunned for a moment, then they both stood.

"Find your what?" Lola inquired.

"Geshrat. Actually you better talk to Letheo about him, he'll know where he'd have been taken. I want him brought to me, his name is Malingo. Oh and I will need lunch for two as well, I'm not sure when Malingo last ate," Candy concluded, wondering how giving orders had once seemed so odd. She supposed she'd learnt fast that if you didn't ask for something, you didn't get and Candy had no idea where she would even start if she was the one who had to complete everything on her list

"Yes madam," Peta said looking stunned, as though her brain was still sifting Candy's requests into a task based list. Lola on the other hand waited for further instruction from her sister. Candy took this as an opportunity to leave, and returned to her rooms.

She let herself think through some of the jumbled ideas in her mind, and questions that had been pushed aside. Carrion wasn't mad at her, this was most definitely a plus, but Kasper Wolfswinkle would most certainly be enraged once he discovered that Malingo was missing and where he had gone. Malingo would now come to work for her, and hopefully become another ally in this tower of enemies.

Not that Candy wanted to think of him as a 'slave.' If she had her way she'd ask of him what she needed and set him free. But she did not think Carrion would be impressed, especially as this would be in contrast to what she had told him she needed Malingo for. Ironic that she should choose a lie that would now come true. Only it wouldn't be her that needed protecting, at least not yet at any rate.

At last things seemed to be moving in the direction of her wedding, but Candy found that her mind could not stay on this subject for every long. She had been fighting this battle ever since she'd arrived, but now the concerns about the motives of the DeWinters made it seem insignificant. What was the point of walking down the aisle if you were still not safe afterwards? Unless she could convince Carrion to send them away, but that was rather unlikely.

Pushing open the door to her room, Candy wondered what Peta and Lola would choose for her to wear later for dinner. She tended not to voice an opinion in the wardrobe department anymore, since it was obvious that they knew far more than she did about appropriate attire.

Finally she thought of her mother, of whom she had seen little of since her arrival. Would she be pleased? Or upset? Would she now leave her father? Were her brothers OK and when would she see them again?

Sitting down on her bed, Candy stared out of her window at the night sky, waiting for Malingo.


	26. Malingo's tale of Kaspar Wolfswinkle

**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews guys! The wedding and all that it entails will be coming up soon

**Malingo's tale of Kaspar Wolfswinkle**

The geshrat looked nervous by the time he arrived, flanked by Letheo and Lola. He shuffled into the room not knowing where to look, and visibly avoided catching Candy's eye.

"Hi," Candy said holding out her hand for him to shake.

Nervously he reached forward and let his hand brush Candy's before looking ashamed of himself and shrinking back.

"Were is Peta?" Candy asked.

"Bringing food," Lola replied staring at Malingo in a curious way.

"I'm sure you have things you need to be doing," Candy said walking to her chair by the fire. "So you may both leave me now."

Lola opened her mouth to complain about the unfairness of being sent from the room, but Letheo's bow caught her unawares and she nodded and curtsied. With them both slowly leaving the room in case something interesting should happen, Candy sat down and smiled at her guest.

"I suppose I should explain myself," Candy said. She held her hand out in a welcoming gesture towards the empty chair, and Malingo dutifully took a seat. "I am suspicious about some things here in Midnight. Of course being who I am, no one will give me a straight answer if I ask my questions, so I am hoping that you will."

Malingo looked up. He remembered how she had looked just as alarmed as he had, to find that Carrion had caught her in the dungeons. He did not know what had happened to her between that moment and now, as Carrion was not a man to be trifled with. But Candy looked unharmed; she was composed, so maybe she had a way of avoiding his legendary temper?

"I will answer your questions Lady," Malingo replied keeping his eyes to the ground.

"Good," Candy said settling back into her chair and smiling. "If you are agreeable, you will come and work for me now. You will not be returning to Wolfswinkle… That's unless you want to return of course."

"Thank you Lady," Malingo said looking surprised and forgetting now to be nervous. There was little to be frightened of from this girl. She was trying too hard to put him at ease, like trying to include a nervous guest at a party. Candy smiled again, and Malingo felt himself returning it.

"Your duties will be to see to the safety of myself and my maids, … especially my maids. They have found themselves in an unusual situation, where they are being romantically targeted for questionable reasons."

"For their connection to you Lady?"

"Yes… or at least we think so. But either way, it is not fair of me to ask them to walk around the tower unprotected and alone," Candy explained solemnly, and then her face brightened once more. "Do you accept?"

"Of course, I would be a fool not to," Malingo replied, wondering just how his luck could possibly have changed so dramatically.

It was not the grateful response Candy might of liked, but after all, what was she really expecting? Malingo was a servant without the right to leave. She hoped in time that he would come to regard her as a friend, and not just another someone he had to take orders from.

It did not take Candy long after to learn that Kaspar Wolfswinkle was a mean man, with a small greedy mind. Any chance of gaining just an ounce of power over somebody else and he trampled over all in his path to get there. But he was also a coward, someone that would only ever attack from behind and from the shadows.

Malingo had spent many years trapped on Ninnyhammer, forced to attend to his master's every vain request and follow every petty order. Always keeping his head down, always trying to stay just out of reach of his master's brutal hands. No matter how much he might want to escape, he could find neither opportunity nor courage to leave.

Wolfswinkle had made him afraid of the outside world, promising him even more hardship and toil. The Abarat seemed an unfriendly place to Malingo and even if he had escaped, he would have had nowhere to go. Wolfswinkle kept his slave broken, even the slightest hint of rebellion and the beatings would be severe.

Malingo informed Candy that Wolfswinkle considered himself a magician and that the power that he wielded came from a collection of magical hats that he had stolen from the heads of other dead wizards. Whether Wolfswinkle had had any hand in their untimely deaths, Malingo did not know. However he did know that Wolfswinkle was fickle, that his allegiance to Mater Motley only held true since she had promised him more magical advancement and made sure the Abarat turned a blind eye to his activities on Ninnyhammer.

Wolfswinkle feared Motley, but his greed drove him into her clutches, whereas he could find no way of being of interest to her grandson. Christopher Carrion saw nothing worth his while from the tiny man in yellow, which Malingo said riled his master into a temper that could be savage. It was then that Malingo advised Candy that if she should ever need to bribe someone to do something for her, Wolfswinkle would be an easy target.

What Motley wanted with Wolfswinkle, Malingo didn't know, as Malingo was always left in the dark. The recent trip which had accumulated into the chastisement of Malingo that Candy had witnessed and his short stay in the dungeons, had come about after a misplaced luggage bag had delayed their arrival to the tower, and subsequently made Wolfswinkle late for his appointment with Mater Motley.

By the time they had finished eating what Peta had brought them, Malingo was wondering how this new arrangement was going to work out and Candy's thoughts were drifting towards her next meeting with Carrion. Maybe she would try and find out why Mater Motley would want to meet with Wolfswinkle in the first place, and what might be going on here that no one thought she should know. She even contemplated bringing up the DeWinters and seeing what she could find out about them too. But only if she could keep her nerve.

She left Malingo to rest by the fire, which he looked very uncomfortable about doing, and joined Peta, Suzette and Lola in her room. Where Suzette had been all this time Candy gave up trying to guess, but trust her to appear again when something interesting was happening.

"So, we have a new friend," Suzettte said peering through the keyhole back into Candy's reception room where Malingo was sat awkwardly alone. "How cute are his ears!"

"Suzette," Peta scolded. "He is not something to be stared at."

Suzette straightened up, shrugged and walked to Candy's wardrobe and began searching for something for her mistress to wear.

"So, Midnight weddings…" Candy said nervously. "What exactly happens? I've never even been to a wedding on my own hour, let alone here, and a royal wedding at that."

Lola smiled and unrolled the scroll of paper she had been holding. It appeared that they had been busy while Candy had been talking to Malingo. The paper scroll was a map of the city, with a road highlighted in silver pen. The road began at the towers and cut through the town, through the main streets and towards another building near the sea, which Candy supposed was where the ceremony would take place.

"The bride traditionally wears a loose flowing dress, usually in the colour of her family, to signify freedom, purity and beauty. If you still had your long hair you would have to have worn it loose too, maybe with some flowers…" Lola explained in a dreamy sort of voice, as if she could think of nothing more romantic than floating towards your betrothed in a bundle of material. "But of course we can still do the flower part if you like, match them to the colour of your dress. What colour will your dress be?"

Candy frowned. Her family didn't have a colour. It was only the highborn families that had clan colours and coats of arms. As far as she knew, her family had neither.

"I don't know," Candy admitted.

"Never mind," Lola reassured her. "We can ask your mother, leave it to us."

"Lola is right, you don't need to worry about a thing," Peta said.

"Except for what you'll be wearing tonight," Suzette chimed over her shoulder, having had no luck at present finding anything in the wardrobe.

"You will have to walk bare footed through the town, don't ask why because I don't know. But you have to walk so that everyone can see you. We will walk with you, along with musicians, who will play song specially written for you… It's tradition!" Lola exclaimed after Candy looked at her as if she didn't believe her. "Then you meet Lord Carrion, there is the ceremony and you change into your husbands colours to show you have changed houses and allegiance, and travel to the celebration. Usually it's a feast or party of some kind. Or course there has not been a royal marriage here for a very long time, so those are the basics, but its bound to be much more ostentatious."

"Do I need to learn any lines or anything?" Candy asked. "Or can we practice?"

Peta shook her head.

"There is nothing to practice. It's up to those around you to do the work; all you need to do is show up. Honestly Candy, people will be working hard, you wouldn't want to be the one to mess up Lord Carrion's wedding would you!"

"That's why I want to practice," Candy said meekly.


	27. Forever Changed

**A/N**: Sorry once again for the long delay between updates, but life got in the way again. I have every chapter mapped out now, all the way to the end. But there are a fair few chapters to come yet! :)

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Forever Changed**

Eventually Suzette had given up looking through Candy's clothes, that consisted of nothing new, as it had been Suzette herself who had ordered the last lot of dresses. Refusing to put Candy in something she had worn before, Suzette had found a peach strap dress with a floaty skirt that had been forgotten about at the back or the wardrobe, and realised she needed to take more control over the ordering of new clothes. Lola and Peta would have her wear the same dress over and over.

Now suitably dressed, Candy set off with Lola and Malingo towards Carrion's apartments, hoping that her mother was not sat with him alone. But her fear was realised when she entered the room and found her mother sitting, ashen faced by the fire, with a glass of red wine in her shaking hands. Carrion was standing as far away as possible by the window, gazing out into the cold darkness.

Candy curtsied towards Carrion and stepped towards him, trying to appear confident if for nothing but her mother's sake.

"I hope I have not kept you waiting," Candy said smiling, and rather than wait to be asked, walked to where the wine glasses were glinting at her on the table and poured herself a drink.

"Not at all," Carrion assured her, following her to the table.

She saw the way her mother recoiled at the sight of her, turning her face away and staring instead at the fire. Candy wondered what had repelled her. Had the change in her been so great? It must have happened so gradually that Candy had not noticed. Was she so altered that even her own mother didn't recognise her?

Clearly she was more confident, more assured of her place in the world, and her understanding with this frightening man before her. But this was a place her mother than pushed her into, abandoning her to a greedy father and a calculating husband. She could not escape, so had been forced to survive.

Yet deep down Candy knew her mother looked away because she was ashamed. Racked with guilt for losing Candy to Midnight, and not doing a thing to save her. She refused to look back now, it was all too late.

Candy took a large mouthful of wine. She wanted it in her blood as quickly as possible, bringing warmth into her pale cheeks, and stopping her nerves from shaking her. She smiled warily at Carrion as he continued to move closer to her, and forced herself to stay still as he pushed her hair back from her face. Candy tilted her head away from him, her pale neck exposed to his gaze. He leant forward and inhaled her perfume.

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

Candy felt a blush creep over her, and as her hair fell back she shivered as it stroked her skin. She closed her eyes as the moment passed.

Carrion walked away from her, and Candy felt weak for having allowed him to affect her so. She gulped back the wine and refilled her glass. Relying on it's magic effect on her to keep her steady. The wine dulled reality just enough to allow her to live with it. Other than that she was on her own.

She wasn't sure how much more paperwork, or contracts her parents could possibly have left to sign. Hadn't they sold her lock stock and barrel already? Then again, maybe Carrion wanted her mother to counter sign everything her father had already put his scrawl upon? Just to be one hundred percent sure that she could never escape.

Carrion had handed something to her mother, but Candy didn't bother to join them. She'd found some canapés on the table, under a large silver cover. Helping herself, Candy took a handful of stuffed berries, and walked out of the light of the fire and into the shadows. She shot a furtive glance at Carrion and found that he was watching her. Feeling a slight shiver pass over her skin, Candy looked away.

Melissa hesitated to sign yet another bond that would separate her from her daughter. What more could Lord Carrion want from her? One look at the paper gave her the answer however. Carrion wanted everything.

Taking a deep breath, Melissa signed. She handed it to Carrion, who in turn stepped back into the shadows and held it out to Candy.

Candy took it without thinking. Her wine hazed gaze focused lazily on the words.

_I Melissa Quackenbush hand over parental rights, as to the welfare of my daughter Candy Quackenbush to the Royal family of Midnight._

_Signed MQuackenbush_

Candy held up her glass in a mournful toast. Now she was a daughter of Midnight. Not even her mother could have a claim over her. Carrion would own her body and soul. She would never ever be able to escape.

Melissa looked down at the floor. She was abandoning her daughter so that she could save her sons from an abusive life. Lord Carrion had promised her an individual settlement, which her husband would not be able to take from her, in exchange for this extra surrender. She would be able to save them from the life Candy had been forced to live, whether that was a fair bargain or not.

"Well," Melissa said standing nervously. "I suppose I should go, unless you want me for something else?"

She looked at Candy as she said this. But Candy could see that she was desperate to escape the room. There was a glint in her eye that Candy didn't recognise. It was fear, but it was not directed at Carrion. Candy felt a chill cross her skin as she realised her mother was frightened of her. Once again she asked herself, what had she become? What had Midnight made her?

"No," Carrion replied. "You may leave us."

Melissa shot another nervous glance at Candy, who this time avoided her eye. She truly was alone now. The door closed with a soft click, and Candy felt her heart double it's beat. She was alone with Carrion, which was something she was never comfortable with. She could feel her legs growing weak, and she forced herself to walk back to the table, for something to hold onto.

"I have a question," Candy said, wondering whether he would want a conversation with her, or whether he would want her to leave also. But Carrion did not stop her, so Candy continued. "About the wedding."

"Continue," Carrion replied, taking a seat.

Candy looked over her should her at him. He was watching her in that strange way, which made her feel nervous. She fought back a shiver. She knew he was waiting for their wedding night, she could see it in his eyes.

"I do not know the precedence... erm, I mean I've never been to a wedding in Midnight. I have asked my maids, and they are not forthcoming about what is expected of me. They assure me that it will be easy…"

"Easy for a common maid, maybe," Carrion said, now looking at her with some curiosity. "I apologise, I should have instructed you earlier. However, I find your interest in the day unusual. You cannot look forward to our union with much pleasure."

Candy perched on the edge of the table. She knew she would never have been able to find the words, or the courage to speak to him had it not be for the wine. But her reliance upon it did not comfort her. While could make excuses such as stress and fear, she could fool those around her as well as herself. But what if she couldn't ever speak to Carrion without being intoxicated? What if she couldn't get through a day without a bottle? Candy shook her head. Unless she got through these early days, she would never survive long enough for it to become a problem anyway.

"I have given you my promise and now I intend to do this right," she assured him. "Please tell me, what must I do."

Carrion stared into the fire.

"To be an uncontested Queen of Midnight, you are required to complete three tasks, in order to deem you worthy," Carrion explained still staring into the fire. He looked up at her slowly as Candy crept closer, sliding into a chair before him. He smiled, but it did nothing to calm her. In fact, it looked as if he was taking pleasure in seeing a flash of fear pass over Candy's face.

Candy knew immediately that her maids had been mistaken; her road to becoming a Queen would never be _easy_.


	28. Temple of the Eye

**A/N: **This begins Arc 2 of this fic, the trials, the wedding and Candy's new life. Thank you everyone who has been reading and supporting!x

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Temple of the Eye**

The temple of the eye had existed upon Midnight long before anything else had been built upon its treacherous soil. Its purpose was to pay homage to the supposed nightmarish spirits that haunted the island and found purchase in the souls of the monsters that prowled in the dust. The sprits were rumoured to also possess the priestesses of the temple, who were in turn, guarded by devoted servants. Imprisoned or protected, either way, no one ever saw the high priestesses of the temple, except those unfortunate enough to need their grace.

Candy had spent a long time reading about this mysterious place, which Lord Carrion had informed her that she would soon know intimately. Surviving in the temple was the first task, to which she would have to secure the blessing of the spirits and of the High Priestess. Candy looked at paintings and accounts in many of Carrion's many books, and came to one conclusion.

The temple worshiped nightmares. This had led Candy to wonder whether Lord Carrion had chosen his dark road himself, or whether it had been forced upon him. It sounded to Candy that he had had no choice but to become something dark and terrifying, in an hour, which beheld such horrors with reverence.

But no matter how many conclusions she drew, Candy could not find a way to save herself from her own fate. She would have to walk into her own nightmare, not knowing whether she would be spared, or would ever walk out again. As if was, Candy must spend her last moments as a maid behind their temple doors, before they released her for two further trials. All they required for the privilege was a vial of her blood.

This idea did not sit well with Candy. A vial of blood was unsafe in the wrong hands. Suppose they should take it upon themselves to curse her, or seek to harm her with magic? But the answer had come to her in a small wooden box.

Candy had been trying on her wedding gown. A long green and blue dress, which was suppose to represent the Isabella. Candy thought it was a good sign that Carrion wanted her to try the gown; at least he was optimistic that she was going to survive the trials.

"Are you sure I can't practice something? All I know of what's expected, is that I have to give away my blood," Candy had fretted, turning on the spot as Lola and Peta pinned her dress.

"I'm sorry mistress, but I do not know what they will want you to do," Peta confessed. "But they must be OK."

"Why?" Candy had asked.

"Because no princess of Midnight has ever been said to have failed."

Candy had not spoken aloud her fears, but had kept them to herself. She was not a princess. She might fail. A small spark of hope came to her with Carrion's gift.

Suzette placed a wooden box in her hand, and Candy found a small bottle inside. Already filled with a dark red liquid. There had also been a letter.

_Candy,_

_Blood is precious and should not be given away lightly._

Christopher Carrion

Candy stared at the bottle now.

"There is power in a maidens first blood," Suzette warned, holding the bottle up to the light. "Lord Carrion means to take yours himself."

"That's just superstition," Peta scolded.

"Then why this?" Suzette demanded. "He wants her maidenhead blood, in order to give himself more power. Candy either gives her herself to the hags in the temple, or to Lord Carrion."

Candy held her hand out for the bottle. What a choice.

"Better the devil you know, right?" she asked jokingly, trying to make light of the situation. She didn't like the idea of either choice.

Lola scoffed.

"It is not a joke!" Suzette warned looking scandalised.

Peta could see the concern on Candy's face, despite her attempts to hide it, and put an end to the stupidity of the conversation.

"It is magic when you give blood to a temple, you make a bond with a God. It's just blood on a sheet when you lie with a man. Candy will make her own choices. Lord Carrion had just offered another way."

Candy held the bottle tight and felt it growing warm within her hand. She could not shake the apprehension that filled her. A God might ask anything of her, then again, so might Lord Carrion.

* * *

Candy had brought Malingo with her as her guide. It was the one unexpected part of her trials, which was partly pleasant. Not that she wanted another to suffer with her, but a companion was precious when she was so afraid.

She left the vial of blood in the palm of an old woman, a disciple of the temple, who placed it in a pocket of her robes. Whether the old woman knew that Candy had played her false, she did not express it. Instead she led Candy into the temple and closed the door behind them all.

The journey to the temple had not taken long; it was situated just outside of the city. It was a dark stone built tower that stretched up into the sky, surrounded by equally tall trees. But Candy couldn't let herself be intimidated by a building, it was what might wait for her inside, that had made her shiver.

Inside, the old woman led Candy and Malingo through an cavernous hall, which sloped downwards into the earth. There was a smell of sweetened smoke in the air from burning incense, and an amber glow illuminated them from the many orange paper lanterns that hung from the walls. An array of statues watched them cross the floor, all with eyes of red gemstones which glinted with the light.

Candy reached for Malingo's hand, as the floor split into two paths. One leading to some stairs and to the upper levels and another continuing to burrow into the ground, going deeper and deeper. They took the dark path into the depths of Midnight. Candy felt the reassuring squeeze of Malingo's grip in reply to her fear and she realised that she never would have been able to keep moving without him.

The old woman showed her to a small room, which Candy thought looked very much like a prison cell, and instructed her to go inside. To her surprise, Malingo took the lead and gently coaxed her into the pitch black room.

"What happens now?" Candy asked the silent woman. Although she had asked a question, she had not really expected an answer. They had so far travelled in silence, and Candy had assumed they were silent on purpose. She jumped as the old woman spoke.

"You will stay here until you are ready," she said before closing the door on them and leaving them in total darkness.

Candy squeezed Malingo's hand once more as she gazed around. She waited for her eyes to grow accustomed to the dark, but either there was no light or there was nothing to see. She felt Malingo sit down, his grip on her changing, but not letting go. Being on edge and nervous, Candy remained standing, until she couldn't maintain her nervous state anymore and let go of Malingo to feel around herself and walk the perimeter of the room.

"We are the only things in here," Candy said, her voice echoing off the walls. "I think we must be deep underground too."

"Great," Malingo replied sarcastically. "We're probably in a tomb."

A shiver passed over Candy. Maybe they were. Maybe they would never get out.

"I wish I'd never agreed to this. I must have been crazy. I should have backed out when Lord Carrion gave me the chance. Miranda DeWinters would make a better Queen in any case. I bet she wouldn't be trapped in here. She probably would have told those old women to get lost."

"Yeah, and have been stabbed in the eye. I have a feeling this is going to get much worse before it gets better," Malingo replied.

Candy sunk down against the wall and closed her eyes. Maybe she could fall asleep and when she woke up it would all be over? Wishful thinking perhaps, but it was worth a try. It seemed as if barely a second had passed, before she was started awake by a voice.

The air around her felt different, and if she could see anything at all she would say is was filled with smoke. It smelt like burnt fruit, and perfume, some kind of incense, already it was too late to hold her nose.

"What's happening?" Candy asked.

There was no reply, only two red dots slowly growing larger ahead of her. Squinting, Candy held her hand up over her own eyes to shield herself. She pushed herself back against the wall to make herself a smaller target and her feet scrabbled on the stone floor. The red dots became eyes, and a smile of sharp white teeth appeared underneath. A snake like tongue flicked out as if to touch her, and Candy screamed.

Malingo jumped to his feet in a panic, searching the room for Candy.

"What's the matter?"

"Can't you see it?" Candy screamed. "It's here, it's going to kill me!"

Malingo held on to her as she buried her face into his chest. He could see nothing, but could smell the hallucinogenic smoke that was being wafted into the room. It had no effect upon Geshrats, and he could only imagine what Candy thought she was seeing. He continued to stroke her hair, but Candy wouldn't calm down.

Candy could still see the vision floating before her, even when she closed her eyes it was still there. She continued to cry until she fell asleep.

The door opened with a loud clanking noise as the blot was slid out of place. Malingo gently helped Candy into a sitting position, and waited to see what was coming next for them. Her hands gripped onto him and she eyes were screwed tightly shut against the bright light now washing over them.

"Princess Midnight please follow me."

The voice was female and light, and it coaxed Candy to her feet. Malingo continued to support her, knowing that she was drawing more courage from him than she should have liked.

"I think I will die," Candy said in a shaky voice. "I have failed their task. They come to kill me."

Malingo felt a chill descend upon him. He had not considered this. Feeling powerless, he continued walking, knowing now that he could be taking Candy to her death. She shivered against him, fighting tears and sobs. Malingo did not understand how these people could be so cruel? And why had Lord Carrion abandoned her to such a fate? What had she done to deserve this?

"Come," the woman beckoned.

Candy looked up at the young woman's face. She did not look as if she belonged in the temple, as she was nothing like the scary old women Candy had met before.

Malingo nudged her forward and they entered a room filled with the eerie paper lanterns, this time in many different colours. The old woman lined the room, and along the back wall stood two more young women, who smiled kindly at her. Hesitating, Candy looked around.

"Come tell us what you saw."

Malingo watched the faces of the young women as Candy talked. They did not look as if her tale pleased them, yet they did not interrupt her. When Candy finished, they looked at one another and their expressions were grim.

"This is not promising. Red eyes are a sign of danger. We had hoped you would bring peace to this hour. It seems we must wait a little longer."

Candy did not reply.

"But we give you our blessing, for you shall need it on the road ahead. You have been chosen wisely, as last of your ancient bloodline, you will bring strong children into this world. Perhaps this is your destiny, to nurture the ones that will protect this hour from it's dark path. But always beware of your own nightmares, as red eyes always means blood."


	29. The Forest of Gallows and the Sea

**A/N**: Thank you reviewers. Sorry updates are not very regular or quick, but I have now started my new job and it eats up all my time. Any spare moments I have I spend catching up on sleep. But I have everything mapped out now, just need to write!

**Chapter Twenty Nine:** _The Forest of Gallows and the Trial by Sea_

Having been given the priestess' blessing and having survived the sinister temple, Candy found herself back outside in the cold biting weather with Malingo. They stood close together looking towards the edge of the imposing forest, neither willing to make the first step towards uncertainty. Hand in hand, Malingo could feel Candy shivering, but whether from the cold or from fear, he could not tell.

Candy squeezed Malingo's hand for comfort. Again she could not express how glad she was not to be alone. She turned to look at him with frightened eyes and whished she could say something to him.

A crowd had gathered in the time that she had been inside, standing in the light of the flame torches and speaking with all the excitement of being spectators. Candy wondered whether anyone in their number felt sympathetic towards her, or whether she was simply a curiosity.

"Come on," Malingo said, his voice full of gentle encouragement. "The quicker we start, the quicker this will all end."

Candy blinked up at him.

"You are coming with me?" she asked, uncertain of what his reply would be. She wished she could be brave enough to say that he did not have to go, but truthfully she wanted him with her.

"Of course," he replied, "I would not leave you now."

Candy smiled, and felt a tear form in her eye. She wiped it away, and took a determined step forwards and towards her uncertain fate.

The forest loomed over them, covering the pale light of the moon and pulling them into even deeper darkness. The air was thick with the smell of damp leaves and dew, growing stronger as they walked. The floor underneath their feet was soft and slippery in places and Candy struggled to keep upright. She fought the branches that tried to snag on her clothing, which sought to hold her back from her goal. There was no denying that the forest was a frighteningly eerie place, which gave the feeling of having claimed many lives within its midst.

Wishing that he had brought one of the flame torches with him, Malingo stretched out a hand before him and concentrated instead. He had decided to use something he had vowed never to use without great need, but nothing could be more dangerous than being lost in this mass of trees and darkness. Whispering a word of power, his hand began to glow with a pale green light. Its ghostly glow lit the path ahead of them, and helped to guide them over the uneven ground

Candy kept her wonderment to herself, knowing that she would never have been able to keep moving forward had it not been for Malingo. But after a few more minutes of walking in silence, she broke the peace around them

"Do you know were we are going? I feel like we are lost?"

"I can smell a change in the air up ahead, and I can hear voices," Malingo replied.

"Voices?" Candy asked. This prospect alarmed her.

"I hope that I am correct, but we're heading towards the tower and the forest of gallows. Then we'll turn right and head out to sea."

Candy nodded. Malingo might be guessing but Candy didn't have an alternative plan, and she found she could barely think straight in this dark oppressive place. Trying not to think beyond anything but one step after another, Candy followed Malingo's light and after a few more minutes of walking the first of the hangman's nooses appeared in the trees. Slowly the voices that Malingo had claimed to hear drifted towards Candy too.

"Here pretty pretty," someone called at her mockingly. "Oh yes very pretty. Pretty pretty."

Candy looked around for the speaker daring him to show his face. She picked up a large stick, feeling threatened, and feeling comforted by the weight of her weapon.

"Calm Candy," Malingo whispered. "We don't know what we face."

"Candy!" someone called with mirth. "Is it her?"

"It is her!" someone answered gleefully. "I swear it!"

"Oh Candy, have you run away?"

"Don't be stupid, she's on her way to the sea."

Candy looked around in the darkness. But there appeared to be no one there. Were the trees talking to her? Or was it ghosts?

"We'll show you the way beautiful."

Candy felt her face redden in embarrassment and anger. But a sudden movement in the branches of the nearest tree caught her attention, and suddenly she knew where the voices came from. A black crow peered down at her before opening his large beak and laughing a man's laugh.

"Might as well throw yourself in the sea Candy Quackenbush," the crow mocked.

"End it all," another cajoled.

"_I _would."

Candy dropped her stick and cast around for something to throw. Her hand met a stone and she hurled it up at the great black bird. The crow soared high up into branches out of her reach. It's indignant squawking piercing the air.

"Watch out boys, she's a fighter!"

"Oh ho ho! What fun fun fun, eh boys?"

"Who are you?" Candy demanded, pausing to shout her question up at the branches.

"We are the spirits of the forest. The spirits of the men who died here, dancing on the ropes. We took their tongues and now we speak," a crow replied. His beady eye shining.

Candy shuddered with revulsion.

But despite all the talk, she and Malingo had covered good ground and now he turned left to head out towards the sea and to the denser part of the forest.

"I will guide you Candy, follow me!" a crow called flapping from branch to branch ahead of her.

"She doesn't need your help!" Malingo shouted up towards the trees, finally loosing his patience. Laughter was all the reply that he received.

Candy stumbled and almost felt.

"You're lost Candy. But we can show you the way," the great black bird promised.

Candy hesitated. But Malingo pressed on until he was out of sight. Suddenly the forest closed in on her and she became disorientated. Where had Malingo gone? She could hear him calling her name, but he sounded unnaturally far away, almost as if the forest had swallowed him.

Candy could feel the forests magic confusing her, filling her head with fear and doubt.

"This way Candy," the crow called.

"Follow us," the other spoke, flying past her, his wings brushing against her hair.

Candy followed, knowing that she had no choice. She walked what seemed like forever, stumbling over branches and slipping on leaves. She made slower progress without Malingo and his magical light, and with every passing moment the crows became more frantic. It wasn't long before she fell and scraped her hands raw and realised she was being led astray.

"Malingo!" Candy shouted, desperately struggling to her feet.

A crow swooped by her, and made her scream.

"Get away from me!" she shrieked

The crow laughed once more, but its mirth was short lived. All as one they took off into the air, flapping their wings in fear.

"Something dark approaches!" one cried. Before it burst into flames, and fell dead, black, smoking and crumpled at Candy's feet. Candy stared at the crumpled mess in shock.

"Candy?"

The word crept up her spine like ice, tingling her skin. Her heart began to pound and her breath caught in her throat. She turned to face what the crows had fled from, with tears in her eyes, to find Lord Carrion. His face was lit by a strange light, more powerful than Malingo's, which to Candy's surprise seemed to light up the world around him.

Candy let out the sob she had been holding dropped to the ground exhausted. He reached in a second and pulled her up from the dirt and the mud. Candy clung to him feeling ashamed. He felt strong beneath her hands, unyielding. She wiped the tears from her face feeling foolish.

"How did you find me? You're not meant to be here?"

"I followed you," he replied, as if it was nothing remarkable that he should do so.

"Why?"

"To make sure you were safe. This ritual is stupid I should never have let you go."

Candy sniffed. She didn't know what to think.

"When you disappeared from the path, I feared the forest had you. But then I found the Geshrat and he told me of the crows. I then feared worse."

"Worse, why worse?" Candy asked shakily.

"They were leading you to the cliffs. They lure trespassers to their deaths."

Candy felt a chill descend upon her and she remembered the confusing thoughts the forest had given her. The strange sense of being inside a dream and they way Malingo had vanished before her. She did not doubt him. Without Lord Carrion, she most certainly would not have survived this place.

"Did Malingo…"

"He's safe," Carrion replied pre-empting her question. "He's waiting for you on the beach."

"Thank you," Candy said. She took his arm and let him guide her back to the path.

They walked in silence and Candy let herself think. She realised how different the forest felt to her whilst she was with Lord Carrion. It wasn't frightening anymore, just empty. Maybe it was because Carrion moved as if nothing could frighten him, or make him lose his way or doubt his steps. But hadn't he not just said that she had caused him to fear? His only concern was for her? For a moment Candy felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude mixed with pride. She was proud to be walking next to him as an equal through his domain of terror. Before she shook her head with the absurdity of the idea.

After a while the ground began to change. The trees became fewer and the soil became dusty. The dust then turned to sand and the trees to shrubs.

"Turn left and you will find what you are looking for," Carrion instructed.

Candy nodded and walked away from him. She stepped out onto the beach and looked up towards the sky. The stars shone down on her once more and to her right she saw the cliffs, silhouetted against the moon. It would have been a certain death to have fallen from such a height. Again she thought of Carrion, and how he had broken all the rules to keep her safe. It was more than she could ever have expected of him.

But she stopped herself again. If it weren't for Lord Carrion, she wouldn't have been in the mess in the first place.

"Candy!"

Candy smiled as she saw Malingo. Her feet sunk into the sand as she tried to reach him, but he was safe and so was she. He pulled her into a tight hug and Candy's smile widened. Strange that they should know each other for only a short time and yet Candy felt she could trust him completely. There was no awkwardness between them anymore; the forest had destroyed all of that.

But her peace was soon disturbed, as a group of people had come into her eye line and were walking towards them. Candy stepped back from Malingo hesitantly.

"The next trial?" he asked.

Candy nodded.

"Looks like it," she replied joylessly.

The spectators did not share Candy's alarm, instead they were laughing and a band of musicians followed them playing happy tunes. Candy felt herself stiffen with alarm. She did not know what would happen next and the anticipation and fear of what might be made it all the worse.

A woman with harsh face led the way towards Candy. She had an expression which spoke business, as if she would not be swayed by Candy's frightened eyes. Her hands were cold and as she grabbed hold of Candy's arms to hold her still, her sharp fingernails dug in. Around her, others followed, pushing Malingo out of the way and tugging at Candy's dress. They ripped pieces away, ignoring Candy's struggle against them, and left her shivering in her white petticoats.

The crowd stood back to admire their handiwork and the musicians played on. Candy looked around at the faces watching her. Some smiled with encouragement, some remained blank and uncaring. The woman with the harsh expression took her arm once more and began to drag her towards the sea.

Two strong looking men stepped forward and Candy shied away from them. The woman let go roughly, and Candy stumbled into the water. Its temperature was jarringly cold and painful. Her blood seemed to disappear from her skin to seek warmth further in, and her feet and hands began to turn blue. The men pulled her further into the water until she was waist deep and the bottom could no longer be seen.

Candy did not want to think of all the creatures that might be swimming next to her, all as curious as those watching from the safety of the beach. But as she looked back she could see a small group of tents had been put up on the beach, and a fire was lit in the middle of them. At least there was the hope of being warm after this was finished.

Without warning the men knocked her feet out from under her and she fell into the water. The freezing cold covering her totally, stinging her skin and knocking all sense of time and place from her. Desperately she tried to fight against their hands but they held her too tightly under the water.

Her lungs strained and she felt herself panicking. She was sure that she could not endure much more, but still the seconds passed by her and as small dots of light started to form behind her eyelids, the men lifted her up out of the water and back into the freezing cold air.

Candy shock, unable to control herself. The men had to carry her back to the shore, since her feet were so numb. Barely noticing where she was, Candy accepted a blanket as it was wrapped around her, and felt her feet painfully come back to life as she stood on the sand.

"Congratulations, you have survived your trials, you are worthy. You will now dress for your wedding and we will escort you," the woman with the harsh face instructed. She had a smirk on her lips which told Candy that she was rather please with herself.

Candy coughed and tasted the salt of the sea in her mouth. She wiped her mouth on the edge of the blanket and tried to regain some coherent thoughts. The woman smiled at her and Candy had the sudden urge to slap the smugness off her face. How dare she stand there all superior and dry, whilst Candy was made to bare all before a crowd of strangers?

"Mistress?" someone said kindly from behind her.

Candy turned to see that it was Peta and Lola that had brought her the blanket to cover her modesty, and who supported her with gentle hands. Lola looked at her as if she was waiting for Candy to speak.

"I'm cold Lola," Candy said, her voice shaking.

"Come on," Lola replied. "We'll help you."

The harsh faced woman looked as if she was about to protest, but Lola wrapped an arm around Candy, rubbing her to try and keep out the cold, and turned them away.

"You will make sure the crowd stays away from my Mistress whilst she prepares herself," Peta said without a hint of hesitation. "We will leave only when my Mistress is ready."

The woman nodded, biting on the inside of her cheek to keep her reply to herself. She had been paid to make this last part of the trial difficult for Candy, but it seemed she would be unable to carry out her patron's wishes. Miranda DeWinters would not be pleased, but someone had outsmarted her this time.

"I'm really glad that you're here," Candy said as they walked. "I didn't expect you."

"We didn't expect to be here either," Peta replied. "But Lord Carrion ordered us to come, and so here we are. Good thing too, that woman would have had you go to your wedding as you are."

Candy smiled through her chattering teeth, and looked around for Malingo. She spotted him already by the fire, removing a kettle from the flames. Candy doubled her pace, the promise of something hot to drink spurring her on.


	30. A way to Keep You

**A/N**: Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter, I hope no one will be disappointed with this one :)

**A way to Keep You**

For the first time since this long ordeal had begun, Candy found herself to be smiling. The joy and celebration in the city was hard to ignore. Row after row of happy people lined the streets, waving flags and cheering Midnight's bride onward. Candy walked through their midst, caught up in the hysteria. Almost swept up into their dream also. She was a vision no resident of Midnight had ever dreamed of seeing, in a dress of blue and pale green silks, so light that it seemed to fly in the breeze. Her hair touched with pearls, the sea's greatest gift. Such riches had never before been close to the ordinary streets and people of Midnight.

A band played as they followed her, and the streets felt full of light and sound. Candy held her head high, feeling as if anything was possible now. Her feet hardly felt as if they touched the ground, as she glided along in a happy daze. Her path no longer seemed so clouded and dark; it now shone with infinite possibilities, if only she could be a brave as these people believed her to be and she took them.

Peta and Lola went ahead of her, handing out sweets and coins to waving children, and in return Candy found herself being showered with flower petals from the spectators in windows above. The courage that the people of Midnight gave her kept her moving towards the official looking building looming before her, all imposing and uninviting.

Candy hesitated only for a moment as she saw Lord Carrion waiting for her on threshold. His clothes were as imposing as the building, dark colours and brass buttons. Nothing was going to let her forget that first and foremost this was as regimented as a choreographed play, in which everyone played a role. And everyone wore a costume, chosen for him or her by history. Candy fought against the instinct to let her smile disappear.

Carrion looked her over as if inspecting her for damage. He nodded to Peta and then held out his hand. Candy shivered as she placed her hand in his. He felt cold, a contrast to her sweating palms. She looked up at his impassive expression and wondered what he was thinking. Maybe he was enjoying this as much as she was. He's already expressed his displeasure about the trials. But there was no time to ask him, even if she had been brave enough.

The doors opened and Candy felt her heart miss a beat. She stumbled her first step and felt Carrion steady her with his strong grip. She found herself leaning on him more than she meant to as they stepped inside.

The sense of eyes upon her was unbearable. Someone placed a coronet of white flowers on her head, and she caught a glance of herself in a window's reflection. She looked like a ghost, only her eyes wide with fear held any colour.

The room was filled with varying sorts of people, all obviously important enough to warrant an invitation. As she gazed around as they walked, Candy noticed some faces she recognised. At the back were Mrs Minow, Peta, Lola and Suzette all ready to step in and be of service should they be needed. A few rows in front of them sat Kate, the woman who had sold a story about Candy to the newspapers. Candy quickly looked away from her; she didn't want to remember anything about that uncomfortable incident. Her insides still churned with the memory, and with the knowledge that it had forced her to chose this path, rather than be just pushed down it.

Closer to the front looking like the only two people pleased to have been invited was Captain Rossal, still looking like a bird of paradise and his wife Tabitha, now without the bump. They smiled encouragingly and Candy found it easiest just to look their friendly faces than catch the sceptical and disproving gazes of so many others. She wondered why the 'upperclass' people of Midnight disliked her so much.

They stopped at the end of the room before a long line of ceremony officials, all dressed in long dark red robes and turned to face the crowd. Candy tried to keep the panic off her face but couldn't control her hammering heart. The worst thing was, not knowing what was happening or what would be expected of her next. She didn't even know how long it would take before it would all be over. Looking up, her breath caught in her throat, and she felt her blood turn cold.

In a balcony above them, sat an old woman. Her face grotesque and her expression hard. She looked down at them, her eyes piercing. Candy could not hold her gaze, it felt too intrusive and cold. But the old woman's stare would not leave her. Candy felt it icy on her skin and unrelenting. Candy knew without anyone having to tell her that this was Mater Motley, just by the overwhelming dark presence the old woman exuded.

Candy found herself squeezing Carrion's hand and found that all this time she had had no intentions of letting go. He was her only familiar thing left in this frightening world. Candy thought she saw concern in his eyes for her, but she forced her smile up at him and it disappeared.

The officials in their ceremonial clothes called for the attention of the congregation and it soon became apparent to Candy that once again she had been asking the wrong questions. She was about to be magically bound to Lord Carrion. This was not just a case of exchanging vows. She felt like laughing like a mad person. How could she have thought the worst was over? She almost wished herself back in the forest. Maybe she should have listed to the crows after all?

Carrion was holding out his other hand to her now and they stood facing one another. Candy looked back to see her mother on the front row, crying into her handkerchief. Then across to her father, unsurprisingly he wasn't crying, had he started spending his money yet? There was one thing that Candy gained from this marriage that she wanted with all her heart, that she had saved her mother from her father, even if she had damned herself in the process.

The officials began to chant words that made Candy feel as if she was floating outside of her body. She was sure it was only that she was holding onto Carrion that kept her on her feet. Then she watched herself walk through a door to the side of he room with Carrion walking the opposite way.

Although she was no longer in control of herself, Candy had to conclude that the absence of any feelings, especially fear, was a welcome release. Her heart had been pounding too fast and too hard for too long. As she thoughts returned to the here and now, Candy found herself in a dark corridor, where someone in a robe put a candle in her hands. The flame burnt an eerie red colour and the wax dripped down onto the floor.

Her feet seemed to know where to take this flame and she found Lord Carrion again in a small room where one official waited for them. Candy copied Carrion and put her candle in a holder before her. The flame held her gaze and her body transfixed.

She waited, her soul seeming to move in and out of her body, no longer attached to anything. The robed man began chanting once more and their hands moved together, as if already one, stretching out over the flames. Candy was sure that this should be burning; yet she felt nothing as she watched her and Carrion's hands held aloft into the red flames.

An ornate parchment was placed before them and their hands moved out of the flames and hovered over the paper. Drops of blood began to drip down from their palms. Candy gasped in shock, before she felt herself thrown back into her body. The pain in her hand almost made her fall to her knees as the official slammed her palm into the paper, leaving behind it a bloody handprint.

Snatching her hand back and holding it to her chest, she shied away from the pen being held out for her.

"You must sign," the official said.

"I can't," Candy replied, her voice sticking her throat. She could feel tears pricking her eyes. The only thing keeping her from crying was the thought of the crowd outside seeing her puffy red face and thinking her even more pathetic than before.

"I suggest you relieve my wife of her distress before I sign my name through your jugular vein," Carrion warned. He had not moved, but there was no false promise in his threat. The official nodded to someone Candy hadn't noticed until now, and a cup was brought over to her.

"Drink," the official instructed.

Candy didn't waste any time, she let the liquid inside burn down her throat. The effect was to make her feel outside of herself once again, only this time she had to force her body to move, no more magical guidance. With great effort she wrapped her bloody hand around the pen and shakily signed her name.

Candy didn't register what happened next, but suddenly she was alone with Carrion. She found she was holding out her injured hand out to him, and he had bandaged it with a length of silk from within his jacket.

"Wow, you were prepared," Candy found herself saying. She felt as drunk as she had ever been and ten times worse. Time seemed to passing in little pictures, not seamless events. There were gaps of time where she could remember nothing.

"It did not seem wise to inform you of this," Carrion replied.

"In case I decided not to do it?"

"Precisely. You could have refused, but you would never have truly been accepted as Queen. And I mean to keep you."

Candy didn't know why, but his words made her feel strange. To her shame she felt something stir inside of her as she looked up into his eyes. Her body knew what he wanted from her and she felt it with every fibre of her being, but this time she didn't shy away from him. She was no longer afraid of him, but she had not expected her body to respond to him in this way. Her heart started to beat faster, her breath harder and her legs growing weak.

Without warning Candy pushed herself into his arms, pressing her body against his. Reaching up to touch his face. She pulled his mouth down to hers. His lips felt rough, skin uneven and scarred but it didn't seem to matter. The feeling inside of her seemed to burn even faster, taking her over. Why was he holding back on her?

He pushed her back with such force at Candy felt sure her head would snap on her neck.

"You are not willing," he said.

Candy felt herself grow angry. He was making a fool of her, was he laughing at her? Was her behaviour disgusting him? She thought it was what he wanted from her. It was what his eyes had said.

"It is the drink they gave you," Carrion explained calmly. "I myself need no magic to desire you, but I understand your need for an altered state of consciousness."

Candy felt her cheeks grow hot with shame.

"I do not want a marriage of lies," Candy found herself saying.

"We are not lying to each other now."

"I will be a proper wife to you, I made my vows, we are bound now," Candy promised.

She saw the confused look cross Carrion's face. She did not know whether or not he believed her, but she knew one thing. To survive with a man like this, she could never again let him see her fear. The mask she had worn on her first day on the island had become a tight fit. Candy was certain that one day she would never be able to take it off.

Carrion didn't say anymore, but took the first steps towards the door. As he turned his back Candy grabbed the cup and drank down quickly the last of the drink. This drink was a blessing, and Candy wasn't ready to let it go.

He held the door open for her.

"We shall see my Queen," he said, a slight smirk on his face. "But I think it will not be long before you are shaking before me again, and long for the bravery this magic has given you."


	31. Surprise, Disgust, Elation

**A/N:** I am not sure whether anyone wants to read this chapter or not, but I wanted to write it, so here we are. Thank you to those who read and reviewed the last chapter! **Warning: This chapter contains adult content! If you do not wish to read, please skip to the next chapter.**

******Surprise, Disgust, Elation**

Candy didn't remember much after her wedding vows, she knew that she must have spoken to people and eaten her wedding feast next to new husband, but now she was in the silence of his room, no memory of it would come to her. Candy knew why, it was the strange drink she had consumed to dull the pain in her hand.

She looked down at her hand; it had been covered at some point with a glove. It didn't hurt, but Candy didn't want to look at it. She didn't want to think that she would be scarred forever. Looking around instead, Candy realised she had never been in Carrion's room. It was not as she would have expected, but then she had not given it much thought.

The room was sparse, and simply decorated. There was nothing of real interest to hold her attention. Candy wondered if there were secrets in the drawers or the wardrobe, but she had no desire to explore. She didn't know why she had left the party to be here, or why she sat here now so still and in the dark.

Suddenly she heard someone's voice in her head. A vision came to her and her arm began to hurt. She remembered being pushed roughly into a wall, pain in her arm and someone's tight grasp in her hair. The voice laughed at her.

"You think you've won Candy Quackenbush? If you do then you'd be wrong. Oh he might want you now, but once he has you it wont be long until he's tired of you. Then he'll be mine again… you'll see. You're here to make an heir Candy, but children die, and so do wives, remember that. I will be Queen here, not you."

Miranda DeWinters had seized her chance. Undefended and powerless, Candy had presented an easy target as she wandered down the hallways alone. Closing her eyes Candy tried to push the thoughts away. She remembered something else too, and reaching out a hand she met the edge of a table and found her glass.

With wine still on her lips, Candy climbed further on the bed and leant against the soft pillows. For a short while the room seemed to move around her, until the door opened and a light crept across the room.

"Why did you leave?"

Candy turned her head to the side. Lord Carrion stood in the frame of light, one hand on the door as if he might close it and walk away.

"I was tried of everyone," Candy replied sleepily.

"I did not expect to find you here."

"I've been waiting for you," Candy said, she smiled and he closed the door.

Candy stared at the ceiling, seeing and yet seeing nothing. This had to happen she told herself, gripping the bed sheets with white knuckles. He was touching her, his hands everywhere, her chest, stomach, between her thighs. Places that no one had ever touched before. Candy tried to keep her mind with her body and not travel miles away, but every so often he'd make her jump and butterflies would stream into her stomach. In those moments her heart would beat faster, just for a few seconds, forgetting who she was, who he was. In those moments there were no rational thoughts.

But it was these brief seconds that Candy found herself dreading more than anything. When his touch would catch her just right and her eyelids would flutter. She knew it was in these moments that that he liked to look at her, as if he knew where to touch to make her his. Candy could feel the smirk on his face, but in the brief moments that seemed to hover on the brink of pain, she couldn't make herself care.

It was only when she felt his lips upon her neck that she began to shiver, and she'd hear herself sigh as his touch deepened. Fighting to keep her eyes open, Candy almost leapt forward as she realised his fingers were inside of her. Eyes wide Candy gasped up at the ceiling, a mixture of feelings running through her, surprise that he should want to so such a thing, disgust that she should let him. Candy felt her cheeks burning with shame and desire.

Candy tried to fight him off, twisting her legs to push him away. But the movement only changed the sensations and she found herself pushing into his touch, even though the feelings he gave her bordered on painful. She felt as if every passing moment brought him deeper into her, closer to her, she couldn't stop him, she didn't want to stop him. She didn't know what she wanted. All she knew was when she had touched herself this way, it had never felt like this.

Carrion continued to watch her, enjoying the way she had resisted him at first and the way she was unfolding to him now. He found his own pleasure in watching the sensations he gave her, every one new to her, everything overwhelming. She lay whimpering under his touch, her face flushed, her hands too shy to reach for him.

He had not wanted her to fear him in this, nor had he any desire to be cruel to her. She was his wife and they would share many times like this together. He had taken women fast before, but there seemed more pleasure to be had in watching a girl's pale throat flung back, and to hear her choking upon her own rapid breathing. Her body would welcome him inside her, her tiny arms and legs would cling to him, her whimpers would grow louder blotting out the world as he finally took her. Carrion wanted Candy to be that woman. But he was growing impatient now and aching for her. It would have to be soon.

Candy's delirium wore off as she became more aware of her own panting and the peak of her pleasure faded. The sounds of her moans and the sounds of her own wetness reached her ears and she turned her head in shame. Carrion's touch was now moving, back up her body. But the game changed again, and Candy felt herself tense up in expectation. He was suddenly between her legs, but her knees seemed to be made of steel and unable to move apart.

Carrion tried to push her legs apart, but she was shivering again, not letting him past. He knew she was frightened, but she'd allowed him more than he could have imagined. She was too alluring to ignore. As he pushed into her she gripped his arms tightly as if trying to keep him at bay. Her eyes closed as if bracing herself. Carrion continued until she gasped and gritted her teeth.

Candy prevented herself from screaming by digging her nails into Carrion's arms. Why did it hurt so much? All she could think about was the pain and how as he continued, the sharper it got. Candy had been under the impression that the pain would be brief, but this was unbearable. She found herself praying it would soon be over, even as he pressed in again he seemed to always touch her in the wrong place.

The jolting pain this time had no pleasure and almost made her cry, but she bit it back. It couldn't last forever. Then something began to change, the pain lessened slightly and she found herself in a rhythm. For a moment she wondered whether this might become enjoyable, but before she had time to relax everything was abruptly over.

Candy kept her eyes tightly shut as he moved away from her, the feeling of hot wetness between her legs made her fingers grip the sheets once again. Opening her eyes slowly Candy realised she was on her own; she saw up carefully and looked down. She put her hand between her legs and it came back coated in red. The cry that had been threatening came out in a pitiful sob. She hurt far more than she had expected to, and to her horror as she moved to the edge of the bed more bloody liquid escaped her and she gave into her tears.

"Come with me," Carrion said, returning for her.

Candy jumped and grabbed the sheet, covering herself. She tried to hide her face, but her tears were now uncontrollable.

"I'm bleeding," Candy cried, her voice shaking. She could feel herself becoming hysterical.

Carrion walked closer to her.

"No, don't look, it's disgusting, I'm disgusting, leave me alone," Candy wailed, hitting away the hand he had offered to her.

But Carrion ignored her, stronger than her, he lifted her up and carried her through to the next room, Candy dragging the sheet along with her under his feet. She was still crying as he lowered her into the bath, the sheet trailing along the floor and into the water. Candy relaxed as the hot water surrounded her, but still the tears came.

"I am sorry," Carrion said. "I shall leave you now."

He waited next to her for a moment in case Candy should call him back, then left. Candy was alone just long enough to calm herself before her maid Lola arrived looking white faced and panicked.

"Mistress! Are you OK, are you still bleeding? Perhaps you should get out of the water, it might make it worse…"

Candy smiled. She was tired; all she wanted was to sleep.

"I'm fine."

"Was it horrible? Did it hurt? This does look an awful amount of blood. I really think you should get out of the water."

"It wasn't horrible," Candy replied almost slipping into a dream.

"Come on," Lola said more determined this time. "I'm helping you out of the water."


	32. Mater Motley

**A/N: **Thank you again to everyone who is reading! :)

**Mater Motley**

Candy woke, rolled over and slept again. Every time consciousness reached her she was dimly aware that she was trying to escape from something, and that she did not want to wake up and face it. Candy slept a long time, long enough for the drink and alcohol to wear off. When she finally opened her eyes she found Peta sitting in a chair beside her, reading a book.

Candy groaned, she did not want to be awake. Peta put her book down.

"I was worried about you," Peta said biting her lip. "I thought you'd done something stupid … taken something you shouldn't have. You wouldn't wake up."

Candy rubbed her face and rolled onto her back. She covered her face with her arm. Her head hurt and her mouth felt dry, she had no idea how long she had been here, but her skin felt clammy and her hair was lank. As she sat up the world swam before her, and she blinked hard to get it back into focus.

"I need fresh clothes," Candy mumbled. She didn't know what she wanted first, food, water, a bath, but she knew she felt dirty with old sweat.

"I'll run a bath for you," Peta said glad to be doing something useful, instead of sitting and worrying.

Candy fell back into the pillows, and stared up at the ceiling. The memories of her wedding and what had followed came back to her slowly. If she had expected to feel different afterwards she felt nothing. Except, that wasn't strictly true. Candy was sure that her soul had been dipped in black whilst she slept, and that something deep inside of her had been destroyed. She could barely recognise herself anymore. She'd been fashioned into something new, something dark and despairing. Her life would be like this forever now. One day she might escape this place, but she would never now escape herself.

Candy lay in the hot water, remembering the last time she had lay in hot water surrounded by her own blood.

"Peta, have you seen anything more of John DeWinters recently?" Candy asked.

Peta put down her book again. Candy guessed she was no longer trusted to take a bath alone, and considering how she felt, maybe Peta was right not to trust her. It would only take a moment to slip under the water and stay there.

Candy considered whether she would have the willpower to hold herself under the water long enough. She doubted it.

"He has written to me. I do not know whether he is genuine," Peta replied. "Why?"

"His sister has been very vocal about her dislike of me. She wants me dead," Candy replied. Peta didn't say anymore and Candy realised that Miranda DeWinter's ambitions were not a secret.

She was never going to be safe here.

* * *

Candy was taking dinner in her rooms alone. It had not taken her long to begin drinking again. Candy had not liked the few moments she had spent sober following her bath. There were too many things to think and worry about. Her nerves couldn't take any more; she needed to deaden her fears in any way she could.

She stared at the raindrops hitting her window and racing one another down the windowpane. The sound made her forget where she was and she closed her eyes. When she woke the fire had died down and she looked around the room to find she was still alone. Sitting up straighter, Candy listened hard; it was silent.

Out in the hallway it was just as silent and empty. The lights were still burning, but no one was around. Candy didn't know why but she felt like walking, she didn't care where. She did not get far before her solitude was interrupted.

"Where are you going?"

Candy jumped.

It was Malingo. He hung back from her, not sure whether or not he was allowed to approach. Candy held her breath to steady her heart.

"I don't know, I just wanted a walk," Candy said. "Will you come with me?"

Malingo smiled.

"Of course Lady, I will come with you," he promised. "I was worried about you."

Candy shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said.

"You don't look fine," Malingo replied. He did not like to press her, but it was clear that Candy was lying to him. But what could she do? It would do her no good to fall apart, spend all her time crying, all Malingo could hope for was that she could keep hold of the girl he had first met, who had rescued him from his cruel master.

Candy smiled a sad smile, and then took his hand. Malingo looked at her pale clammy hand in his warm orange one. She was so tiny compared to him. So very fragile. He had not known her long, but he'd already decided never to leave her.

They walked until they reached the bridge. This time Candy did not hesitate to cross into the darker half of the towers. She had hoped coming this way might spark some kind of interest in her, but instead she felt the same, still numb inside. She knew she was putting herself in danger by wandering around in this half of the tower, but she wanted something to happen, anything to distract her from her own thoughts.

Malingo did not try to stop her. Maybe he thought she had nothing to fear in this place. Now that she was queen she could go where she liked. Candy supposed that technically she could. She walked through hallways and climbed up stairs until she became aware that someone, or something was following her. Looking around she saw someone large trailing her, too far behind to see his face.

As she hesitated, her escape was cut off as something stepped out in front of her. It was a creature the like of which she had never seen before. They both came closer to her and as they did so she saw that they were made of different parts of skin, roughly sewn together to make a body. They were Stitchlings. Suddenly Candy regretted being so reckless, what had she been thinking of? Of course she had not be thinking at all.

"We are the guards of Her Majesty," the one behind her spoke. "You will accompany us now."

Candy did not protest. There would have been no point. Instead she gripped Malingo's hand tighter and followed the creatures up more stairs to a set of tall wooden doors. They opened and Candy felt her knees almost give out under her. She didn't know how she managed to keep standing at the sight before her.

Mater Motley sat in candlelight, her hands paused from their motion of sewing. Her needle sharp in her bony fingers. Beside her stood a tall stack of what looked like skin, dried but still stained with blood. On her lap lay the beginnings of a new creature; a stitched hand fell down towards her feet. Candy felt her stomach churn, the room smelled of death and she struggled to take a breath.

Motley looked up and her gaze made Candy tremble. She could no longer feel Malingo's grip on her hand. She felt as if she was standing in this room all alone, with just those piercing eyes upon her. She was pushed forward and suddenly the room swam back into being and she noticed that there were many others sewing, all old and bent over their work.

The old hag sat upon a large throne, fashioned from skin and into the shape of a hand. Candy didn't want to go any closer, but she was still being pushed forward and her feet would not listen to her. Motley continued to sit unnaturally still, watching her. Her face seemed ancient to Candy and she could read nothing behind her cold eyes.

Candy felt her heart race as Motley put down her sewing and stood. The hand flattened itself to the floor and the old woman stepped down. Candy tried not to look at the hand, it made her stomach clench up, and she could not take her eyes away from Motley. She would never turn her back on this woman.

"You will all leave," Motley commanded.

Candy felt Malingo let go of her hand, but she did not look around to see where they took him. A predator stood before her and she would not let her out of her sight.

"You know who I am," Motley said. It was not a question, but Candy answered anyway.

"Yes, I know who you are."

Motely walked around Candy, looking at her all the while. Candy resisted the urge to turn on the spot to prevent Motley getting behind her, but she didn't dare risk her displeasure. Candy could feel every hair on her body standing up, and as Motley walked back into her eye line Candy had the feeling that she had just survived something.

"You have consummated your marriage?"

Candy tasted bile in her mouth, how dare this woman ask her such a personal question? But Candy knew that she could not refuse to answer. Carrion's grandmother had left her alone, as long as she had played her part; Candy had not had to face this woman. For some reason she must approve of the match, but Candy did not know why. Nor did she really care. At least it was one person that didn't want her gone.

"Yes," Candy replied reluctantly.

Motley studied her once more. Candy noticed that her gaze lingered on her stomach.

"Willingly?"

Candy looked up at the old woman sharply. Again she had to hold back her disgust.

"Yes."

"Then it is final. We will await the child," Motley said walking back to her chair. "He has discussed this with you?"

He could only mean one person. Candy did not want a conversation, but it seemed she could not escape until Motley was satisfied.

"I know that Lord Carrion needs a heir," Candy replied. She suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. There was something about this deal that Candy had not been told, and she struggled to keep her appearance calm.

"Your first born child, boy or girl will be given into my care. I will supervise their education so that they are fit to rule Midnight."

Motley smiled at her, a cruel yellowy smile.

Candy felt her blood run cold. She knew Motley was watching her closely for any sign of weakness. She knew that if she were to protest, she would be made to submit. She had no say here. She was powerless. Candy had never felt so small or so helpless. She looked up into the face of her tormentor and kept her face blank.

"Becoming pregnant may be a problem," Candy said. She did not know how she had found the courage to speak, but there was something she wanted, and she knew Motley could get it for her. There was no point making a fuss today, when then problem was tomorrow.

"You are making a deal with me?" Motley asked. Candy thought that the old woman looked slightly taken aback. Motley leant forward as if reassessing her.

"There was a drink I was given at my wedding. It made me dream, I want more of it," Candy said bluntly.

"In order to perform your wifely duties?" Motley asked with a smirk on her face.

"Does this matter to you?" Candy replied. She didn't like to speak badly of Lord Carrion, not when he had done nothing but try to be kind to her. It was not his fault that she did not love nor desire him. She would not let Motley have the satisfaction. "This is my condition. Take it or leave it."

Motley raised an eyebrow.

"He told me you were biddable."

"Give me the magic drink and I will be," Candy answered.

They stared at each other for a moment, and then Motley nodded.

"Very well, I will provide you with this drink, and you will provide me with the heir to Midnight."

Candy nodded. She felt she had achieved a victory in this room. She no longer felt so afraid of this old woman. They had come to an understanding and there would be no other reason for them to ever meet again. Candy knew she was better off keeping Motley on her side, since she might need her, especially if DeWinters decided to make her move.

Back outside the room, Malingo was waiting for her. He put his arm around Candy and felt her shivering beside him. He guided her away, trying to get her as far away as possible before she collapsed. Her legs shook beneath her and Candy was once again grateful for Malingo's help. She leant against him as she walked and allowed herself to cry.

"Malingo they have me trapped," she sobbed. "If I have a baby, she will take it. She'll make it into a monster."

"Yes My Lady," Malingo replied. "I know."

There was nothing more to say.


	33. Forgotten Time

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone, once again for your awesome reviews. Since I am on a writing roll at the moment I thought I'd go with it. :)

**Forgotten Time**

The time passed for Candy in missing chunks. Sometimes she became aware of herself long enough to know where she was. Sometimes she found herself following orders eat, sleep, do this, stand here… without ever questioning why she was doing it. Yet she didn't remember any conversations that she'd had, or where she had been or what she had done. Candy simply existed.

Around her neck she wore a small bottle on the end of a long gold chain, always hidden beneath her clothes. Inside the bottle held the drink of which she had bartered her rights away. Whenever the world threatened to return to her, she drank. When the bottle was empty she swapped it for another, always kept in her bedside drawer. There was always more. Eventually Candy fell into a routine, rising too late for breakfast, she ate her first meal of the day with Malingo. He was always patient with her, no matter how vacant her stare.

Afterwards she walked with Lola through the tower grounds, feeling the cold wind on her face and seeing the same things day after day. The same trees, the same nooses hanging from their branches, and the same gravestones. The she was fed once more by Malingo, encouraging her to eat, helping her when she couldn't. Finally she was put to bed with her husband and when she woke, the same things would happen all over again.

Right now she was waiting for Malingo to fetch her, or at least she thought so. She pulled her blanket tightly around her shoulders and looked out at the weather. It was snowing and for once there was light outside. All the lamps of the city reflected against the snow clouds and illuminated everything under them in an eerie orange glow. Candy touched her forehead, the stitches had been removed and her skin was smooth again. Her hair was also growing, she knew because the front kept falling into her eyes.

Someone had dressed her in pale yellow, the skirt of the dress long and light. Perhaps they were trying to bring some light into her imposed darkness? Her reflection in the glass wasn't someone she recognised. Her dark hair had been styled in light waves, all pulled to one side and clipped. Her fringe fell long into her eyes, but when pushed to the side, the contrast with her pale face was alarming.

Her cheeks were fuller, and although her eyes looked empty, they were bright and shining. Candy stared at herself until the door behind her opened and she forgot what she had been thinking about.

"I want to walk in the snow," Candy said suddenly.

Peta stopped folding Candy's clothes, and looked at her mistress. She felt sorry for the girl, and angry with her at the same time. She was wasting her life. Everything was passing her by and she just no longer cared. Her continual drugged state made her pliable, she did whatever she was told. Like a doll, she was dressed, undressed, fed, washed, completely at the mercy of those around her. Her eyes were always blank, nothing reached her. Yet no matter what, Candy always had the strength to lift that bottle to her lips.

Caring for the new Queen wasn't difficult, but Peta no longer enjoyed her job.

She felt Candy was in danger, from more than one source. The DeWinter's woman was strutting around the tower, and with no Queen to protest, Candy was slowly losing her place. Peta wondered whether anyone even remembered that there was a Queen of Midnight, since the only orders were given by DeWinters.

"The snow melted a long time ago Candy," Peta said gently.

Candy stood and opened the window. Peta was right there was no snow. She looked down at herself. She was wearing blue. How long had she been away since the last time she had sat here? What had happened since?

"Oh," Candy said. "Have I been to sleep yet?"

"No mistress."

"Should I go to bed now?"

Peta bit her lip. Bed meant to Lord Carrion's rooms. Peta always felt a sense of dread taking her mistress there. Candy barely knew what she was doing, how could she consent? Peta hated leaving Candy with her husband. Especially when Candy spent so much time trying to escape him. How could Peta condemn Candy for her way of coping, when she was one of those contributing to her mistress' destruction?

"Yes mistress," she said at last. "You should get some rest."

Candy smiled at her with trusting eyes, and Peta felt her heart turn cold. She wanted to rip that chain off from Candy's neck. But then Candy would have to face Carrion alone and scared once more. They were all trapped in a bad circle and life could not continue like this.

Candy followed Peta down the hallway and into a room. The door closed behind her and she was left all alone. Candy wrapped her arms around her chest and hugged herself tight. It was dark in here. Frightened by the quiet and the shadows, Candy reached for her necklace, untwisted the lid and tipped it up to her lips. It was empty. Frustrated, Candy unbuttoned her dress, pulled it up and over her head and climbed into the large bed.

Suddenly Candy remembered that she had a bottle of strong spirit in her bedside table, and took a large swig. Candy fell back against the pillows with a sigh. When the door opened seemingly moments later, Candy sat bold upright in fear.

"You're awake," Lord Carrion said closing the door behind him.

Candy leapt out of bed startled.

"What is that around your face?" she screeched pointing. Carrion stood before her, a strange contraption around his face. Something almost electric streamed across his mouth.

He scowled at her.

"You have seen this before," he replied with a hint of annoyance.

"I have not!" Candy protested. "I don't like it."

Carrion ignored her and started unbuttoning his shirt. Candy took a further step backwards.

"I see you are no longer medicating yourself, what happened, run out? You being lucid is rather a novelty."

Candy felt his words cut into her. She didn't like being ridiculed by him. Not when she had clearly been sleeping with him since her wedding, and couldn't remember anything. She wondered how many times she had made a fool of herself.

"The Collar of Nightmares," Candy muttered. "I remember. I still don't like it, take it off."

"I'll take it off what you promise to stop trying to kill yourself. You have your poison and I have mine."

Candy blanched.

"I am not trying to kill myself," Candy replied alarmed. "I just…. Don't like being alive anymore."

Carrion laughed. Candy shrank back into herself. She didn't know what had amused him. Scowling she walked to the bed and sat down.

"It's too late to die now Candy, she'll never let you," Carrion said watching her closely. Candy scowled at him. What the hell was he talking about?

Suddenly her stomach flipped over. Something strange was happening to her. For a moment she sat dumbfounded, before running towards the mirror. Turning sideways she saw her corset was laced lightly and was bulging at the front. Tugging at her laces, she cried out with Impatience. Suddenly Carrion appeared behind her, holding her steady.

"Calm Candy, let me help you."

Freezing under his touch, Candy let him unlace her. Her corset fell to the floor, and she covered her mouth in shock. Her stomach was swollen, and there was no denying she was pregnant. Her baby had been kicking.

Carrion placed something over her head, and Candy realised it was a nightdress. She felt a tear run down her cheek and she turned away from him. She climbed back into the bed and pulled the covers up over her head.

She didn't want to look at his or her own nightmare.


	34. Miranda DeWinters

**A/N: **Thank you everyone for reviewing! We are into the next arc of the story now :)

**Miranda DeWinters**

Miranda poured Lord Carrion a glass of wine and smiled her most enchanting smile. It was rumoured that Candy Quackenbush was with child, but also sick and growing weaker. The child might never be born, if such a child even existed. It seemed that the new queen favoured a hermit's life, shut away in her rooms or prowling the grounds like a mad woman.

For many a mistress, this might have been enough, but nothing was ever enough for Miranda, her eyes were always on the bigger prize.

"I don't know why you keep her here," Miranda mused as she held out the glass to Carrion. They were sitting in his study, warmed by the fire. "You could send her into the country out of the way."

When he didn't take the glass she placed it next to him on the table. She had interrupted his time alone with his books, but still he barely acknowledged her presence. But Miranda was determined not to be treated like part of the scenery; she wanted to know the truth about the rumours she had heard. It annoyed her that other people seemed to know more that she did, especially on a topic that consumed much of her time.

Carrion didn't reply to her initial musings and Miranda studied his face. It was always impossible to tell what he was thinking. His mood changed like the wind, and Miranda didn't know whether her sharp tongue would lead her into trouble or if it would spark his amusement. It irked her terribly that the idiot Queen never seemed to rile his temper. Perhaps she was such an idiot that she could not think of anything to say to him, pleasing or no.

Carrion knew whom Miranda was talking about; he did not have to ask. It was the same conversation every time. He supposed it was time for another attack on his wife, a subject that never seemed to bore Miranda. Usually he allowed her to speak and never paid her much attention, but he sensed she was not as content as usual.

"I hear she is already pregnant," Miranda scoffed, as if the idea itself was a joke. "Or maybe she has killed her child already with her stupidness… and that is why she has made no announcement."

Carrion's eyes froze on the page he was reading. No longer recognising the words he saw, he heard from Miranda what he supposed the world was saying behind his back. That his wife was mad and had poisoned their unborn baby. Prehaps most people would think that this would be a good thing. There were probably very few women that would envy Candy.

"If I were your wife, I would not waste a moment away from you," Miranda said, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

Only ambitious women like Miranda aspired to such a place.

"Not everyone is as ruthless as you," Carrion replied. He felt a coldness grip his heart. Her thoughtless words had spoilt his calm mood and forced him to remember that everyone around him was a liar.

This blonde woman only sat beside him because she wanted something from him. People were afraid of him, or hoped to benefit by him. Although, like everyone else she had hurt him, Candy Quackenbush had been the only woman who had never lied to him. Her honesty had wounded his pride, but it was not something he could blame her for. He looked at the snake beside him and knew that he would never be worthy of his wife's real affection. False declarations from mistresses were all he could hope for, if he was so inclined to listen.

"If you sent her away, we could be together more often," Miranda said leaning closer to him.

Carrion snapped his book shut.

"Why would I want that?"

Miranda's smile faltered. She'd pushed too far and had been insulted instead of receiving the compliment she had been fishing for. She stood up in annoyance.

"I'm fed up of sneaking around!" she exclaimed.

Carrion laughed, but it was harsh.

"Sneaking around? Candy has never protested about you. Everyone knows that you are giving the orders around here, and holding parties here, there and everywhere for your friends. You insult her and yet she does not complain."

"Complain? She hasn't complained because she is always off her head. I begin to think she must be naturally mad."

Carrion's amusement dissolved and the atmosphere changed.

"In which case there is no need to keep wishing I get rid of my wife."

Miranda scowled.

"Why are you keeping her here? She is embarrassing you! Everyone is talking."

"They are only talking if you are telling stories."

Miranda stopped talking. She had the feeling that Carrion was trying to lead her into a trap for his own amusement. She had always been careful to avoid such mistakes with him; for she had no doubt that he would readily replace her if he chose to. Her position was a precarious one that familiarity sometimes made her forget.

She sat back and crossed her arms.

"Well if you wont send her away, at least get rid of that Leeman Vol. He's disgusting. All those bugs … why is he even here?"

"Because I need him," Carrion replied.

Miranda rolled her eyes. Carrion began reading again and she knew that she was no longer required. She reached up and touched her necklace, where precious stones were set in gold. The feel of them usually calmed her. But right now all she could of was how they were not diamonds. Only the Queen was allowed to wear diamonds. Miranda clutched the necklace and realised that she was never going to be good enough, not while Candy was still around. There was only one option left to Miranda, she couldn't bear spending her life as second best. The crown should have been hers. She had spent years pandering to Carrion's whims. She'd waited so long and now some stupid simpering girl had taken her place.

A girl like Candy Quackenbush could never hold a man's attention. She had no idea what it took a woman to keep a man like Lord Carrion. But Miranda had learnt. She knew when to smile, when to talk and when to be quiet.

She could read Carrion's moods and made herself into whatever he wanted for that moment. She also knew how to take what he offered, the gifts he gave her and how he had moved her and her family up the social ladder. She knew her brother resented her for the reason he had been noticed, but he'd still been happy to travel on the back of her success.

Now she refused to let all those years of waiting go to waste. All that stood in her way was Candy. She had to go.

* * *

John DeWinters was always working. He was one of those people who were only happy when they were buried in work. Being exchequer of Midnight required his constant attention. He could have employed more assistants and juniors, but he was frugal. In the seven years that he had been in office, Midnight's economy had never been more prosperous. Instead of money sitting in the treasury, DeWinters was a huge fan of investing in people, businesses and services.

Midnight was slowly gaining a reputation for shunning Pixlar's merchandise and going it's own way. Hospitals and schools had been rebuilt and he was slowly creating a tax system that would make them accessible to all of Midnight's citizens.

But even workaholics like John needed to take time out sometimes and his latest obsession was a blonde girl called Peta. He wished he knew how to court a woman, but he was a novice. His early attentions had not ended well. The advice had taken from Miranda had not worked. The girl had ended up frightened by him and he wished he could start all over again.

He regretted confiding in his sister, she had encouraged him at first, but now he realised she had just been hoping to use him. He suspected she had wanted him to separate Peta from her mistress, leaving the new Queen without a friend.

He'd seen a new ruthless side to his sister recently; one that he realised had probably always been there. Only this time he refused to be dragged along. For the first time they were no longer a team.

* * *

Candy felt the breeze through her hair and breathed in deeply.

"There are some new flowers in the gardens," Malingo said as he poured Candy some juice. "I brought one inside and it turned from grey to blue. You should see them."

"I'd like to see them," Candy replied, her voice sounding far away. "But maybe later."

Malingo nodded. It was hard to tell what Candy's mental state was anymore. Before, nothing seemed to resonate with her; she lived from moment to moment. Now, she was withdrawn, but rather than dullness in her eyes, there was pain behind her gaze.

"Do you know where my mother is? Is she still living in Midnight?" Candy asked.

Malingo hesitated. He weighed up how much he should tell her against how much she was likely to retain. It was almost strange for Candy to be lucid, but she was still very fragile.

"Yes. She is living in Yebba Dim Day with your brothers. Maybe you could visit them when you're feeling better," Malingo suggested.

Candy smiled. She knew he was only trying to be kind, but in Candy's mind, visiting her family seemed a long way off. The world had changed whilst she had been hiding from it, and not for the better. Candy knew it was her fault that she had lost control. She should have been stronger. But … there were too many excuses.

She'd lost it. Midnight was stronger than she was. She was broken.

"What about my father?"

Malingo shrugged.

"I don't know, you'd have to ask…"

"Lord Carrion?" Candy asked, pre-empting Malingo. "I know. But I can't face him Malingo. I'm so ashamed of what I've been doing … or not doing … That's just it. I don't know what I've been doing all this time. I don't know what he expects of me."

Malingo placed a hand on her arm. She felt clammy and cold. Whatever she had been taking looked painful to be withdrawing from. He said nothing and waited for her to continue.

"Carrion gave me gave me plenty of opportunities to leave. I chose this and I've let everyone down. Especially myself. Lord Carrion must hate me. I ought to give this child to Motley. What kind of mother can I ever hope to be?"

Malingo frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Mater Motley. She's going to take my baby. She wants the first born," Candy said, staring out into the darkness.

"She can't do that! It's your baby!" Malingo exclaimed outraged. What kind of delusions had Candy been having?

"She can," Candy replied, refusing to look at him. "Because I agreed to the deal. It's her marriage, she makes the rules. This child has been planned long before even my own birth. I don't know what makes me so special, or worthy to be Queen, but I am Motley's choice."

"What do you mean you agreed to the deal?" Malingo asked. He was trying his best to follow Candy, but she was making no sense. Or was making too much sense. How many secrets had she been keeping?

"I agreed to give her my child in return for the potion," Candy replied. She saw the look of disgust she had been expecting in Malingo's eyes. "As if I ever had a choice of refusing. I agreed only to save my life. If Motley thinks she's getting what she wants from me without protest, then she'll keep me alive."

Malingo shook his head.

"Candy this is crazy."

"No. I knew a truth a long time ago. Miranda DeWinters has been after my place her whole life. In all fairness this crown should have been hers. I don't think for a moment that she'll ever stop trying and for her to win … I need to die."

Malingo felt a chill pass through him.

"You think she's trying to kill you?"

"I think she will if she gets the chance," Candy replied. "I'm a bad person Malingo. I should never have made that deal with Motley."

"You're not a bad person Candy. This is all out of your control."

"Motley may be the only one keeping me alive. I'm certain I have lost Lord Carrion to Miranda."

Malingo stared out into the darkness also. They were eating out on the balcony, something they had taken to whilst Candy had been 'ill'. She was out here so often that people were starting to stand at the main gates and look up at the tower hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Malingo looked down at them now, they looked so far away and small. He didn't know what they could see from down there, but they were always there. It gave him an idea.

"Candy, remember when you walked through the town? People came out to see you. What if you did that again?" Malingo asked.

Candy followed his gaze down to the gate. The spectators were still there. She stood and walked towards the railings, raising a hand in a hesitative wave. The action caused a commotion, as people started pointing her way and jostling for a better view.

Candy knew that if she continued down this road, Motley would take her child, and Carrion might look the other way as Miranda strangled her in her sleep. No one would think it strange that the poor sickly new queen had died shortly after childbirth. She was rumoured to be dying anyway.

Gripping the balcony rail tightly. Candy looked out into the night and took a shaky breath. The world was going to change again, and she was going to be the one changing it.


	35. An heir to Midnight

**A/N**: Thank you everyone! This chapter is a shorter one because I didn't want to start the next scene at the end of this. Expect the following chapter to be posted soon!

**An heir to Midnight**

Lord Carrion looked up from his papers in annoyance. He had been disturbed enough already, but his anger died on his lips as saw who stood in the doorway. For a brief moment he wondered who she was, and felt stunned and unable to react. He stared at her until she dropped her gaze to the floor in embarrassment. It was as if time had reversed before him, and here stood Candy as she had been when she had first stepped onto the island. Her hair, still choppy, had reached down to her shoulders at its longest layers, and was reflecting the light. Her face was radiant once more, and there was colour in her cheeks.

Candy hesitated in the doorway, her frame tiny apart from the obvious bump covered by her long pale yellow dress. She was unmistakably pregnant and unmistakably beautiful. The flush of colour over her cheeks, was growing deeper, and Carrion remembered his voice.

"Candy," he said in greeting as he stood up. She half smiled making him feel self-conscious. They had not made the best of beginnings together and now they would have to start all over again.

"I've come to ask your permission to go into the town," Candy said nervously.

Carrion sat back down. Candy noticed that he looked slightly dejected.

"This isn't a prison Candy," he replied looking back at his papers and preparing to go back to work. The moment of hope he had felt at first seeing her disappearing.

"I know," Candy assured him, stepping further into the room. "I just thought I would be polite. Why don't you come with me? I thought I'd buy something for our … er … baby."

Carrion looked back up at her and his eyes travelled down to her stomach. Candy thought he looked as if he might agree, then she saw his expression change.

"I don't have the time," he said at length.

"Well, maybe I could get you something when I'm out?" Candy tried again to keep the subject light.

"No," Carrion replied, this time sounding distracted as he started looking at the papers on his desk once more. "I have everything I need. You must buy whatever you like," he added.

Candy nodded. She looked around the room awkwardly and tried to wrap her arms around herself, but found that awkward too. There was something she wanted to ask, but she didn't really want to have the conversation right now. But since there might never be another opportunity like this one again, Candy knew she couldn't stay quiet.

"Christopher," Candy said. She felt herself blush once more as it felt strange to say his name. He looked up at her once again with a questioning gaze, as if he hadn't seen her before. "Is there a nursery? Or should I be making one?"

Carrion's gaze lingered on her stomach once more. Candy placed her hand on her bump.

"He is very strong and kicks all the time."

"You think it's a boy?" Carrion asked.

Candy hesitated. She had not thought about what she had been saying. Her hand closed over her stomach protectively.

"I thought you would want a boy?" she asked studying him for a reaction.

Candy didn't really have any feelings either way. How could anyone really know what they were carrying, boy or girl? She suspected that Carrion wanted a son, but what would happen if it wasn't a boy? Motley wanted the child either way, but if it was a girl would she take her and still wait to take the next child too? Supposing Candy survived here long enough.

"It does not matter. We will have more," Carrion said.

Candy felt her cheeks redden at this prospect and rather alarming idea. But it also removed a weight from her shoulders. The pressure to produce an heir obviously wasn't concerning Carrion. Also it told Candy that Carrion wasn't planning her death after the baby arrived, no matter what the outcome.

"Yes," Candy said from lack of anything better to say. "You are right. I just don't want you to be disappointed… again … in me."

Carrion stared at her again.

"I will set aside a room for the nursery," Carrion said as if it was a strange idea. "You haven't disappointed me."

Candy smiled. It was nice of him to lie. Without anything else to say, she curtsied to him and left. Carrion continued to look at the closed door once she was gone. For a while he had almost believed the rumours that she was sick and that her health was failing. It seemed to be widely accepted around the tower as fact. He had already received some cards of commiseration, which had been promptly thrown in the fire.

He did not know what she had been taking and he realised that he had been neglectful of her. It was easy to blame everything on Candy and find her wanting, but she was just a girl, not of his world, and it had been his responsibility to look after her. He had not treated her well, even though he had been as kind as he could.

It did not help that she always appeared so strong before him, masking her frailty underneath. He realised that she had been just as afraid of him as everyone else; he could not read her at all. Yet, she was still here, still fighting to fulfil her promise of being his wife. She had shared his bed as willingly as he expected any woman to.

Candy came to him in duty, but he had to suppose she had enjoyed his attentions, with her inhabitations and awkwardness gone. With Miranda it was all pretence and lies, as it always had been.

The shy blush had returned to Candy's face, replacing the blank stare. Would she remember the wife she had been with him? Always warm and welcoming to him, even if she could not think beyond the moment. Or would she return to the nervous girl she had been before, who he would have to convince to trust him?

But Candy's trip outside of the tower couldn't have come at a better time. There was somewhere he needed to be, where he had planned to be for some time. Now was as good a time as any, he had all the pieces in place. With the city watching Candy, he would be free to leave without anyone noticing.

He rang the bell for his servant and waited impatiently. Letheo arrived shortly after, bowing before him. He had the same impassive expression on his face that he always wore. He had recently been dosed with his antidote, the potion that kept him from turning into the true beast he was, and his eyes were clear and bright. Carrion admired his quick mind, but was always careful to never allow him the chance for freedom.

"Find Leeman Vol," Carrion instructed. "We will leave immediately."


	36. The Sacbrood

**A/N**: Sections of this chapter have been taken from chapter 12 of Days of Magic Nights of War, "Darkness and anticipation." I'm not going to highlight what are direct quotes because that will interrupt the flow, but I'm sure you'll spot them. The rest of the chapter I will rewrite. :) Thank you everyone for reading! x

**The Sacbrood**

Carrion looked out from the prow of the boat, feeling the spray of the seawater cool his face. The sky was cloudless and full of bright stars, but the sound of the beat of the oar drum and the grunts of the stitchling sailors stopped the moment from being peaceful. Behind him Letheo sat huddled against the side of the boat, under a heavy woollen cloak. Carrion looked down on him then back at his other passenger.

Leeman Vol was also looking up at the stars. Lord Carrion had seen many disgusting things, and thought that nothing more could surprise him. But Leeman Vol was something else. He made even Carrion's stomach turn as he looked at him.

Leeman Vol had a terrifying reputation, which travelled before him. He was famous in the Abarat for his hideous appearance and his disgusting obsession with insects. Carrion looked at him now with contempt. He was annoyed that he had to spend any time the company of anyone so repulsive. As he watched Vol, a large maggot began to wiggle its way out of a crater in Vol's face. Carrion bit the inside of his mouth to stop himself from betraying his revulsion.

Leeman Vol had lost his nose many years ago, when a particularly vicious spider had bitten him and injected its venom into his face. Slowly his nose had rotted away until all that had remained were two slimy holes. In its place he had fashioned a new nose out of leather, which he now wore strapped to his face. But this was not the only thing that made his appearance strange.

Vol had been born with three mouths, complete with many yellow teeth. These he had filed over the years into sharp points, which were razor sharp. These mouths gave him almost a triple voice, which made people cover their ears against a sound they had heard many times in their nightmares.

But what his particular birth defect of many mouths gave him was a curious ability to speak the language of bugs. Such was his love of insects that he brought his choice specimens with him wherever he went, allowing them to live on his body. They crawled over his skin and up and down his clothes. Among them were miggis lice, furgito flies, threck roaches and knuckle worms. Sometimes with bit him in their frenzy or burrowed into his skin to lay their eggs.

"Stand Letheo," Carrion ordered.

Letheo stood reluctantly; he disliked sailing, the motion always made him feel ill. He stood determinedly, and tried to avoid being pushed into Vol by the sway of the boat.

"Do you know where we are heading?" Carrion asked.

Letheo shook his head, then realising that Carrion wasn't going to accept that, he replied.

"Are we going to Pixlar's city? He has been exploring down into the sea my Lord."

"Yes, Pixlar has been exploring. He has a great curiosity for what lies in the deep dark of the Isabella," Carrion replied. "And what do they say is down there … Vol?"

Leeman Vol appeared startled to be asked such a question.

"The Requiax?"

"Yes, the Requiax," Carrion replied. "Very good Vol. The Requiax are very powerful beings. I have heard stories of beasts of such size that a grown man could stand in it's eye socket. They are very fearsome."

"We are going to find the Requiax?" Letheo asked nervously. The prospect held no joy for him, and even Leeman Vol looked alarmed.

"No, I have no interest in the Requiax," Carrion replied looking back out into the water. "I shall leave Pixlar to do his explorations in peace. Let us hope that he is careful and does not make the Commexco kid an orphan."

Letheo had no doubt that his master would find it very amusing if Pixlar were to meet his end in the jaws of a hideous monster, and that his hopes of Pixlar being careful were in jest.

"No, we are going to the pyramids of Xuxux," Carrion revealed, and slowly the first of the six pyramids of Xuxux came into view.

The largest one of them all, reached up into the sky, so high that clouds had begun to gather around its summit. The hour at the pyramids was one in the morning, and even the light from the stars was beginning to be blotted out by the clouds, plunging them into even deeper darkness.

As the pace of the rowing slowed, the stitchlings began to light the lamps on front of the boat to illuminate the way.

Around them small fishlike creatures began to gather around the boat and followed them in the water closer and closer to the bottom of the largest pyramid. They seemed drawn by something on the boat, either the lights or those onboard. Letheo looked down on them in apprehension, he did not fancy falling into the midst of them, and yet their moment was strangely hypnotic.

As they drifted in the water, the air around them started to vibrate. Vol felt the bugs on his body start to buzz with anticipation and he leant forward over the prow to hear the strange noise that was growing louder as they drew closer.

It sounded like an orchestra of high-pitched screeches, or many wings fluttering and rubbing together, but what was making the noise, Vol couldn't identify.

"The Pyramids are the resting places of the Abarat's royal families and nobles. Along with all their possessions… slaves, eunuchs, horses, cats, sacred serpents and their basilisk," Carrion listed. "Or course, it does not follow that all of those extras were also dead at the time of their interment."

"Buried alive?" Letheo questioned with a shudder.

"It gives me great enjoyment to think so," Carrion replied.

Letheo tried not to imagine Carrion's death and being thrown onto the funeral pyre with him, but still the thought haunted him. It did not give _him_ enjoyment to think of this.

The way here had been perfectly clear and without incident, clearly it had been money well spent. Carrion had bribed many people in order to get near the island. Soldiers who worked for the church of Xuxux guarded the pyramids. They patrolled the seas around from trespassers, but Carrion had arranged for an interruption in their patrol, and his boat had sailed in unnoticed.

As the boat stopped at the bottom of the largest pyramid, the noise grew louder.

"What is that?" Letheo asked. The sound was so loud that it took all his control not to cover his ears and cower.

"They know we are near," Carrion replied. "Come!"

Letheo let Carrion and Vol go before him, and then he stepped out of the boat and onto the solid rock. Behind him the stitchlings were bringing a man wrapped in chains. He had a terrified expression on his face and his eyes were darting here and there. Letheo almost felt sorry for him, but then again, there must be a reason Carrion had brought him and his pity didn't last long.

Carrion looked upwards and admired the scale of the pyramid. He had chosen the right place, all those years ago, when he started his plan in motion. No one could ever imagine the scale of his ambition, not even his grandmother. Pixlar's explorations were childs-play compared to his visions.

"This man," Carrion said as the prisoner was brought forward, "decided that he did not have to wait for his lovers to grow up … he thought he would take them whilst they were still children… of course, he did not require them to be willing."

The man whimpered as he was dragged towards Carrion. Letheo shrank back from him, he could smell the fear on him, and his moment of sorrow for him was long since passed.

"Of course the punishment for such unnatural behaviour is death," Carrion continued. He smiled at the man. "But I have decided that I will spare his life, in return for his assistance."

The terrified man trembled before them all, he stood frozen as the stitchlings removed this chains. He looked at Carrion as if he wished he had perished on the journey here.

Carrion held out something in his hand. It glowed brightly and the prisoner reached for it without thinking. It was a key, filled with magic. It reflected in the prisoner's eyes as he stared at it in wonder. Then he looked back at Carrion and he seemed surprised to find the key in his hand.

"I want you to open the door," Carrion instructed.

The terrified man looked around for help, but seeing that no one was stepping up to save him, he looked at the large stone door with the same terrified expression he wore when looking at Carrion. Staggering towards it he put the key into the lock. His shaking hand tried to turn the key, but it seemed to be disappearing into the door and lighting up the surrounding stone of the heavy door. The man took an unsteady step backwards as the door began to open.

The stench that greeted them from the other side was overwhelming. Even Lord Carrion recoiled at the smell, like nothing he had ever known before. Worse then rotten flesh and fermenting waste. Letheo covered his mouth as he choked and his eyes began to water.

"What is that?" he asked, desperate for a breath of fresh air.

"Sacbrood," Leeman Vol answered looking excited. "There is only one creature that makes a smell such as that. It is Sacbrood. How did you get them?"

Carrion nodded.

"Yes Leeman, you are correct. How about we take a closer look," Carrion said stepping forward. He pushed the prisoner towards the door. "Go inside and tell me how many there are."

The man dug his heels into the ground and refused to move.

"No."

"You can count can't you?" Carrion asked, before he kicked the back of the man's knees. The prisoner crumpled and Carrion pushed him forward. He fell through the door and fell into the pyramid in a heap.

He lay motionless for a while on the dirty floor.

Carrion reached inside of his coat and pulled out a Pixlar invention. A small spinning top lay in his hand and when Carrion threw it into the pyramid it began to spin and light up the room around it.

The prisoner slowly climbed to his feet and Leeman Vol took a step closer. The darkness around them was crawling with life, every surface of the walls teeming. On the floor small eyeless beings slithered through the filth and towards the light. Carrion threw in some more spinning tops and the vastness of the room became apparent. The prisoner started to whimper once more as small creatures began to slither towards him.

"This is greater than I imagined," Carrion said as he looked around in awe.

The tombs of the royal family were unrecognisable. The coffins, statues and treasures had long since been devoured by the hungry sacbrood bugs. Nothing of the beauty of the tomb remained.

Suddenly there was a rush of noise and the beasts began moving towards the light. Letheo almost fell over himself trying to get away, and even Vol seemed alarmed.

"They are moving towards us! There must be thousands, tens of thousands!" Vol exclaimed.

"Oh I do hope so," Carrion replied. "But we mustn't be afraid Vol. We are the masters here and they must learn."

Leeman Vol did not look convinced.

"There are millions. These creatures are not just in the pyramids. They've dug down into the earth beneath the pyramids and made hives for themselves. Hives the size of cities. Every one lined with cells, and each one of these cells filled with eggs, all ready to be born at a single command."

"From you?" Vol asked.

"From us, Vol. From us. You need me and my power to protect you from being slaughtered when the Last Day comes, and I need your mouths to communicate with the Sacbrood. That seems fair doesn't it?"

Vol stared at Carrion wide eyed.

"Y…yes, I suppose so, yes."

Letheo remained far back. This was more than he cared to know about the dark nature of his master. It reminded him that although he managed to stay useful to his master, and had not been punished for a long time, Lord Carrion was a dangerous man. Even more dangerous than he ever could have imagined. He also realised that his own life was in even more peril than ever before, if Carrion decided that he no longer wanted anyone knowing about his sacbrood secret, then he'd be having a trip to the morgue.

"Then you can start by telling me what they are saying," Carrion said. Vol stepped forward with a hesitant step. The bugs were awe-inspiring, and varying in size. Some filling the room as high as he could see, some so small that he had not even noticed them before. The prisoner looked at him with pleading eyes, but Vol ignored him. He was filth, like the waste on the floor.

"They welcome you," Vol said, concentrating on all the many voices. Finally one stood out from all the others. "But they are impatient. They have been waiting a long time."  
"Yes, I understand," Carrion said into the teeming mass. "It will not be long now."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes," Carrion replied.

"We have waited so long, we are growing restless, and hungry…"

"I know, I…"

"So hungry," Vol translated, as he turned pale. The bugs on his body started running for cover with screeching sounds.

"My Lord," Vol said stepping back. "We should leave. If… if you've finished talking with them," he added.

"Yes," Carrion agreed. "Close the door Vol."

"But the man…"

"Leave him for the bugs," Carrion said. "As a gesture of good will."

"But My Lord!" the man inside screamed. "You promised!"

"Yes, I did. But we mustn't be selfish, we must think of the greater good," Carrion said walking away.

The man tried to make a dash towards the door, but slipped on the slimy floor. Vol panicked and began to push at the heavy door. Carrion, seeing that the sacbrood were growing closer, pushed his weight behind the door also. A few of the smaller ones began to rush towards them, but Carrion was faster. The door slammed shut on the prisoner's screams and then all that could be heard was the howls of the bugs.

"If this was unleashed on the world, it would be the end of everything we know," Vol said in astonishment. "Utter chaos. Total destruction. The end."

"No, Vol you are wrong," Carrion said. "It will be the beginning."


	37. Miranda is Poison

**Author's Note: **Here we go guys, believe it or not we are on the final stretch!

**Miranda is Poison**

Candy returned home feeling proud of herself. The hardest step to her recovery was over. She had faced the world and rather than being laughed at, the people of Midnight had been welcoming. She felt positive about her life for the first time in a long while.

She let Malingo take the few items she was carrying back to her rooms, where the rest of her shopping was waiting for her. Instead of following him, Candy took another turn and began walking towards Carrion's rooms. She suddenly felt the need to talk to him again and tell him about her trip outside. But when she knocked on his office door there was no reply.

Looking inside she saw that it was empty, the lights were off, but a strange glow illuminated the room. Checking that no one was watching her, Candy stepped inside in search of the light.

"Hello?" she called.

There was no reply, but the light seemed to glow brighter. It was coming from what seemed like an alcove on the far left-hand side of the room. Slowly Candy made her way towards the back of the room. She felt the whole time as if someone was watching her.

It was Carrion's collar that was glowing. Strange things swam behind the glass as if moving through water. Candy stepped towards it. It was in a cupboard, but the doors had been left open. She gazed at it transfixed. The nightmares pressed up against the glass as if sensing her near, and slid over one another.

Candy reached for the cupboard doors, holding them as if she wished to close them but couldn't. She continued to stare until someone spoke.

"Mistress?"

Candy snapped the cupboard doors shut, locking the evil thing away. She felt as if she had just been woken out of a trance, and had no idea how long she had been standing there.

It was Letheo. He had followed her into the room. From the look of his clothes he had been somewhere cold and damp, as his coat looked wet. He looked at her with an inquisitive gaze. Candy supposed he was wondering how in control of her mind she was today.

"Where is Lord Carrion?" Candy asked, eager not to get into a conversation with Letheo about what she had been doing with Carrion's collar. She didn't even know the answer herself.

"Not here," Letheo replied, his gaze swung past her to the cupboard and then back to her. Candy could tell he was trying to see what she had been staring at.

Candy didn't say anything as she walked past him and back out into the hallway. She wondered whether he had also gone to investigate the cupboard, but didn't look back around to check. She wondered as she walked, had Lord Carrion gone out? He had not said he would be going somewhere.

She knocked on Carrion's bedroom door. She heard a sound from within and tried the handle. It was unlocked, so cautiously she pushed it open. Behind it the room was lit with candles, and Miranda DeWinters was lying across the bed with a startled look on her usually sneering face. It took Candy a few seconds before she could react to the scene before her.

"What are you doing in here?" Candy demanded before she could even think. She could feel the anger boiling up in her, with unexpected ferociousness. She wanted to kill this woman. She was everywhere, like Candy's own shadow, just waiting for her to fall. Just waiting to step into her place.

The sneer reappeared on Miranda's face.

"I would have thought that was obvious," she replied, sitting up.

Candy noticed that she was wearing some kind of black silk corset. The sight only fuelled her rage.

"Get out."

"These rooms don't belong to you, Candy," Miranda replied sarcastically. She continued to grin, with no intention of moving.

Candy curled her hands into fists.

"I said get out!" she shouted. "Now!"

Miranda slid over to the side of the bed and took her time rearranging herself before climbing out. By now Candy's voice had alerted the servants and subsequently Lord Carrion. He walked past her into the room, and then looked back at her, framed in the doorway.

Candy rounded on him also.

"If you don't get rid of her, I swear…" Candy warned, looking past him. She stepped to the side and pushed the door open further. She didn't care who heard her, or how much of a scene she was making. But Carrion might. She challenged him with her eyes to try and make her be quiet and shut the door.

He said nothing. He did not even look at Miranda, but kept his eyes on Candy. It was if he had not even noticed that Miranda was in the room at all.

Miranda huffed, wrapped herself in Candy's silk dressing robe and walked out of the room. Candy did not look at her as she passed by, and once she was in the corridor, she slammed the door shut. She held Carrion's stare, determined not to back down.

"What was she doing here?" Candy demanded.

"Why do you think she was here Candy?"

Candy scowled.

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid!"

"I'll talk to you how I like," Carrion replied, an edge of anger creeping into his voice now. "And you have been incredibly stupid lately."

"I don't care," Candy said wildly. "I hate her! She wants to kill me!"

Carrion raised his eyebrows. Had Candy been drinking again?

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I am not!" Candy shouted.

"You want to take her place? Then go ahead!" Carrion invited, pointing at the bed.

Candy hesitated. Her bravery began to ebb away as the argument reached an uncomfortable topic. Candy might hate Miranda, but she wasn't ready to render her useless.

"I didn't think so," Carrion said.

Candy felt her temper rise once more.

"Fine!" she said, stomping towards the bed and climbing on not very elegantly, with her bulging stomach in the way. "Lets go then, I'm ready!"

Carrion laughed at her, but when he saw Candy's expression he grew sombre once more.

"Stop it Candy."

"Just mind the baby with your oh so mightiness, and be quick about it because I have things to do," Candy said cruelly. Her words were cutting, and made Carrion recoil from her.

"Things to do? Like what? Drink wine?"

Candy felt herself blush with embarrassment.

"Well are you going to or not?"

"I wont have you whilst you are pregnant," Carrion replied coldly. He looked at her as if she was something dangerous that he couldn't predict. "That is why Miranda is here."

"You didn't have a problem before."

"Before what?" Carrion asked. Sometimes, or rather, most of the time he had no idea what Candy was talking about. She seemed to live to infuriate and confuse him. And yet, the more she railed at him, and the more she screamed and shouted the more he seemed drawn to her. Her honesty was both as painful to him as it was refreshing.

"When I came to you, every night. You didn't have a problem then!" Candy accused.

This time Candy's attack was a little too close to insulting his honour. What did she think he was, a monster? Of course his reputation was cruel. But what had he done to make her think this badly of him?

"Candy we were together as man and wife, only until I realised you were medicating yourself to the point where you could no longer consent. But you hid your habit well. You don't know how much it hurt to discover that you would rather be unconscious that with me. But by then, your were already pregnant."

Candy felt her retort die on her tongue. And a lump formed in her throat. All the time she had been trying to remember what had happened in these rooms, and had remembered nothing. It wasn't a loss of memories, but because they had not even existed in the first place. She remembered nothing because nothing had happened.

Candy felt tears forming in her eyes.

"You hate me," she said, her voice small and meek again. "I don't blame you."

Carrion shrugged out of his cloak. It seemed a long time ago now that he had been standing before the sacbrood, contemplating the future. He looked at Candy with apprehension. He didn't understand why he always relented to her, when he could so calmly face the monstrous sacbrood without fear.

"Are you staying?" he asked when she didn't appear to be making a move to leave.

Candy scowled at him once more.

"I'm not leaving so that you can sneak that woman back in here!" Candy replied.

Carrion supposed that that was all the reply that he was going to get, and knew better than to continue the argument. He felt her suspicious gaze follow him as he undressed. She didn't make him feel comfortable, and he wondered whether she was readying herself for a further attack. But Candy was silent.

Underneath his shirt Carrion was wiry, with the kind of muscles that came from hard work rather than lifting weights. Candy wondered how he managed to keep so lean when all she ever saw him doing was working in his office. Maybe he ran miles? Or did boxing? She began to imagine what he might do with his spare time, and also wondered why she had never thought about it before. Suddenly she realised she was starting at him, and blushing she looked away.

When he was finally dressed again, Candy left for the bathroom. When she returned Carrion looked as if he was already asleep, not that she could tell without creeping to his side of the bed to check. Climbing in carefully, she rearranged the pillows to accommodate her stomach and then lay self-consciously in the silence. Apparently this was all they had done for a long time.

Seemingly moments later Carrion woke her.

"What?" Candy asked.

"Water, here," he said.

Candy peered at him.

"You asked me for water," he said, holding out a glass to her. "Here."

"Did I?" Candy asked. She reached for the glass anyway. Maybe she had been talking in her sleep, she was kind of thirsty. She raised the glass to her lips, took a few gulps before spluttering. She looked up at Carrion feeling betrayed.

"What is this?"


	38. Back to the Dark

**A/N: **Many thanks to **starlight2twilight **and **tgurl620** for your reviews! Following this chapter there will be four more :)

**Back to the Dark**

Candy spat what she could back out into the glass, but it was too late. She had drunk without registering the strange taste. The familiar taste of Mater Motley's poison. Why had it been in the water? Why would Carrion put it there? Had everything he'd said been a lie? All this time had be preferred her incoherent and docile? Had he just been biding his time to drug her, and send her back down the path she had so desperately tried to change. Why?

But Carrion seemed just as perplexed as Candy. He took the glass from her hand and tasted the water for himself. It had been drugged. Candy looked at him with fear in her eyes. He knew instantly what she was thinking, that he had drugged her on purpose. He could read the betrayed look in her eyes.

Someone had set Candy up. He did not believe for one moment that Candy would go to all the trouble of trying to prove to him how well she was, just to start drinking again in his presence. In that instant Candy's previous words came back to him. She feared Miranda, and Miranda had access to this room. But so did all the maids, and various other servants. There was no proof, there was no one to accuse.

Candy pushed past him, and hurried into the corridor. She didn't know what to do, and already she could feel the potion working. She was starting to become light headed, and her vision wasn't so clear. She stood still for a moment trying to remember what she was doing, or why she had been feeling so upset. Suddenly she felt someone holding her shoulders and turning around.

"Hello," Candy said smiling.

Carrion took her hand and led her back towards her own rooms. He tried not to look at her face, which had lost all of its personality and her gaze gone from fiery to vague.

The opening of the door made Peta jump. She waited for her mistress, but when Carrion walked through first, Peta feared the worse. Then she saw Candy and she knew instantly that look on Candy's face.

"What happened?" Peta asked. She helped guide Candy to a chair, where she sat and looked up at them with a blank expression.

"There was that stuff she drinks in the water," Carrion explained.

"What? How…"

"Keep her here, and don't let her drink any more," Carrion instructed. "I'll be back later."

Carrion walked back to his rooms. In a dark mood he shouted at the servants he saw along the way to come and attend him. He dressed in his darkest colours, and called for his Collar of Nightmares. Once it was fitted the nightmares inside began to move, sensing his mood they swirled and danced around his face. Stalking through the corridors, he found Letheo already waiting for him in his office.

"I want you to find John DeWinters," Carrion said.

Letheo took one look at his master's expression and the way the nightmares were moving, and knew that DeWinters would not be in for a friendly chat. Something had happened to put his master in a bad mood, something obviously bad. And since his master's mood lately seemed to be dependant upon Candy Quackenbush, Letheo was willing to bet something had happened to her.

John DeWinters arrived looking as if he hadn't been to sleep for a long time. His shirt was crinkled and his eyes had dark shadows beneath them. But Carrion was in no mood to be merciful. The nightmares flared at the sight of the weaker looking man, and pressed against the glass trying to get closer to him.

"Take a seat," Carrion said, sitting down himself behind the desk. "I have some questions for you."

DeWinters did as he was instructed. He was tried; he'd been working solidly without a break, but had been pleased with his progress. He had been looking forward to putting his proposals before Lord Carrion, about his new tax system and spending plans. But he suspected that this was not what Carrion had called him in to discuss. But he reckoned he could guess what was coming. His sister had been throwing her weight around too much; maybe Carrion had finally had enough?

"Of course My Lord," DeWinters said, trying not to be intimidated by Carrion's appearance.

"I want you to tell me, what your sister expects from her time here," Carrion said.

John opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. He knew that whatever he said now would change his sister's future. He knew exactly what Carrion wanted to know, and he knew what he ought to say. But he still could not betray Miranda, no matter how much he might disagree with her ambitions.

"My sister is very ambitious Sir, she certainly enjoys being number one," John said. He tried to choose his words carefully. He did not want to lie, but he also couldn't tell Carrion the truth; that Miranda wanted Candy Quackenbush out of the way so that she could take her place.

"Except that she is not number one, is she," Carrion said, twisting around John's words. "But would she like to be?"

John hesitated. He didn't know what Carrion was trying to do. Was he trying to lead him into trap, or was he planning to give Miranda what she wanted?

"I don't know. I no longer see eye to eye with my sister, we do not want the same things," John said.

Carrion watched him closely. He could not tell whether John was trying to hide something from him, or if as he said, he no longer shared a confidence with his sister. Carrion suspected the latter was true. For a long time the pair had not seemed as close as they once were. Especially since John had stared working tirelessly with the new tax system. But it did not matter; he had a whole host of people to interview before he would make a decision.

As he left, John considered telling Miranda about what had happened, but when he found her waiting for him in his rooms, he hesitated. Her face was sour and she tapped her foot impatiently when he took too long to close the door.

"Well?" she snapped. "What did he want?"

"He? I suppose you mean Lord Carrion?" Even her tone irritated him, and her disrespect towards their master.

"Yes, Lord Carrion," Miranda said impatiently. "What did he want?"

John scowled at her. Miranda was getting too big headed. He felt like reminding her that he was the one with the credibility here, working hard, where as she was nothing but a 'whore'. She ought to be the last person demanding anything. But instead he bit his tongue and held his anger back.

"Nothing. He just wanted to go over my ideas. I haven't been updating him enough," John lied. As he spoke he didn't know why he didn't tell her the truth. The lie came out of his mouth before he'd even realised it.

"Oh," Miranda said sounding slightly disappointed. "I thought maybe…"

"What did you think?" DeWinters asked. There was obviously something Miranda wasn't telling him, and he was fast loosing faith in her. He wondered whether he ought to have told Carrion more about his suspicions.

"Nothing," Miranda said hastily. "Only… that little bitch ordered me out of his rooms. You should have seen her, she came bursting in like a demented harpy."

So Miranda had been put in her place at last, and she wasn't happy. But that didn't explain why she was so interested in what Carrion had to say. Unless she'd let something slip? Maybe she'd lost some of her usual control, and said something out of turn. Or maybe Carrion had seen into her greedy and ambitious mind, and not liked what he'd seen.

"Well, is that it?" John asked.

"Yes."

"OK then," he said opening the door. "Goodbye then."

As she left John decided to keep his secrets to himself. If she wouldn't confide in him, then he wouldn't in her.

* * *

Candy awoke with a thumping headache and an empty feeling inside. She was restless and couldn't stay still. She knew what she craved, and what she needed but it was hard to remember why she didn't really want it. She tried to close her eyes and ignore the feeling. But the more she tried not to think about the drink, the more she wanted it, until she reached over to her bedside drawer and half opened it. She slammed it shut and jumped out of bed. She needed to distract herself.

She called for something to eat, but it did little to fill the emptiness in her stomach. She walked in the grounds until she was tired again, lay in the bath and then listened to some music. Eventually Carrion came to see her and sat on the balcony with her. He looked down at the people stood at the gates, staring up at them. He seemed surprised to see them there.

"Can I do anything for you?" he asked at length. Candy's face was placid once more and there was a sheen of sweat on her skin.

"No, there is nothing," Candy said.

"I don't like to see you suffer like this," Carrion added.

Candy smiled at him, but she felt nothing at his admission of feeling. All she could think of was the drink. In the drawer in her bedroom was a small bottle of the potion. Just a little more wouldn't hurt. The damage had already been done. A little more would just take the edge off the pain and make it a little easier.

"I'll be alright," Candy assured him. She was itching to run into the bedroom and grab the bottle.

"I'll find who did this," he assured her.

"Of course you will," Candy agreed, her mind far away.

Carrion looked away. He preferred Candy when she was full of fire and screaming at him. This dull-eyed Candy was a completely different person, and she made him feel even more alone.

When Carrion finally left, Candy could not fight the craving any longer. Running into the bedroom, she grabbed the bottle and drained it. The liquid hit her bloodstream almost instantly, and she sank to her knees before falling to the floor, unable to stay awake. She was unconscious in seconds. The bottle slipped out of her hand and rolled towards the half open door, before coming to a stop. Then there was silence.


	39. Against Time

**Against Time**

Miranda had had to wait longer than she had expected. But at long last Candy was gone. It had taken a long time of careful planning to put her plan into action, however simple it might have been. But after watching Candy's pattern of behaviour, Miranda found a chance to slip into her rooms and switch the bottle in Candy's bedside drawer. But at the moment of her success, Miranda had nearly been foiled when Candy decided to stop drinking the stuff. So the poison stayed in the drawer untouched. Miranda decided then that she needed to break Candy's sober streak, and send her spiralling back into the addiction.

Miranda had spiked the water in Carrion's rooms. It was the easiest drink to tamper with, and she knew that Carrion never drank the water that was provided. But that Candy obviously did, since there would be no other reason for it being there. So as often as she could she spiked the water, hoping that soon Candy would help herself.

But when John said that Carrion only wanted to talk about work, and hadn't mentioned anything unusual, Miranda supposed she would have to wait a little longer. But the news soon spread throughout the tower, that Candy was in hospital. Miranda hoped, that if her luck held out, Candy would die soon.

Line Break

Peta arrived at John DeWinters door with her heart in her mouth and a terrified expression on her face. Malingo had told her about Candy's fears regarding Miranda DeWinters, and Peta had hurried away from her room to find the only man that could help her. Although, not long ago she would never have considered him someone to trust.

John didn't speak. The look on Peta's face told him all that he needed to know. They stood in silence, looking at each other, until finally Peta spoke.

"Candy was poisoned," she said. "Someone put poison in her room. She's in the hospital. They think she might die."

There was silence again.

"No," John said at length. He couldn't believe what he was being told.

"Did you know anything about this?" Peta asked desperately. She had to believe that he didn't.

"No, of course not."

The expression on his face told Peta that he was telling the truth.

"Candy was frightened of your sister. Do you think she had reason to be?" Peta asked. There was desperation in her voice, which made her get straight to the point.

John hesitated. He wanted to tell Peta the truth, but found he couldn't speak. Miranda had wanted Candy gone, but would she really have tried to kill her? What if she succeeded? She couldn't hope to get away with it. He couldn't be sure, and Carrion's words came back to him. She's not number one. Do you think she wants to be?

"If you know something…" Peta prompted. She could tell that he was furiously thinking.

"Carrion already knows," John said at last. "I should have told him everything. She's destroyed me too now. He'll never forgive me. I'm finished."

"But if you go to him now. Tell him everything you know. It might save Candy. It might save you too," Peta urged. "There is still time."

* * *

Carrion looked broken when John walked into his office. He was slumped over his desk, and barely even looked up when the door opened. John DeWinters took a deep breath and waited until he was invited to speak.

"This is not a good time to be discussing business," Carrion said, his hands over his face and his elbows on the desk.

"I have to tell you something," John said, his heart hammering. "Something I should have told you before, but I never thought…"

Carrion looked up. His expression was bleak. John had the sense that Carrion knew exactly what he was about to say.

"Miranda wants everything. I never believed she'd go this far, but I do now. You can't trust her…"

Carrion returned to staring at the desk.

"I have already taken care of this," Carrion informed him.

There was a long silence. The implications of this statement were not lost on John. For a moment he was completely stunned. He had not considered that Carrion might have acted on his suspicions already. What exactly had he done, and how much did he know?

But instead of asking, all that John managed to say was, "Oh."

"I appreciate your honesty. I would have regretted losing you too," Carrion continued. John felt his heart skip a beat. His instinct had been right, he'd been on the verge of losing everything because of his sister.

Clearly they were both going to pretend that this had never happened, and DeWinters was pretty sure this would never again be a welcome subject. At least not as long as he wanted to stay alive. Carrion was going to forgive his betrayal, but it didn't take a genius to realise he's had a lucky escape.

John bowed and left quickly. He felt sick. He had not been brave enough to ask what had happed to Miranda, nor did he feel brave enough to know the answer.

However, he later discovered that she had been arrested and dragged throughout the servant's quarters before being thrown out into the dirt of the street. Whatever had happened afterwards, John didn't know. Perhaps Carrion had killed her in secret, or locked her in the dungeons. Or maybe public humiliation had been enough. All he knew was that he'd probably never see her again, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

But what had happened to Candy was more wildly known. She'd been found unconscious and rushed to the city hospital. For a long time it was rumoured that she was expected to die, but eventually when the news of her death never came, people assumed she must have been improving. In fact nothing had really changed, Candy had been sleeping and still hadn't woken.

People were starting to camp outside the hospital waiting for news, and Carrion was hardly ever away from her. At first it seemed he had tried to continue with his business, but when Candy made no move towards death or life, Midnight seemed to grind to a halt.

After what seemed like forever to all those waiting, Candy finally woke, to find herself alone. Looking around she saw that a bag of fluid was slowly dripping into her arm, down a long tube. She guessed that she must be back in the hospital, but couldn't remember what might have happened to put her there. But something wasn't right. There was something missing.

Slowly she patted her stomach, it felt soft and empty. Panicking, Candy sat up and felt a searing pain shoot through her abdomen. Crying out, she flung the sheets back and pulled up her nightdress. Her baby was gone. It had been cut out her whilst she slept. All she had now was a large dressing, stained with blood, and what felt like a deep wound underneath. Swinging her legs out of bed, Candy fought the dizziness that overwhelmed her. She felt herself growing hysterical. Tears began to stream down her face and her breath was coming in hurried gasps.

Staggering around the bed towards the door, and dragging the drip-stand with her, Candy pulled the door open but doubled over as the action caused her to pull on her stitches.

"Candy, what are you doing?"

Candy looked up through blurry eyes. Lord Carrion stood before her, along with two people holding syringes. They must have heard her crying. Candy slammed the door shut on them, and stumbled back towards the bed.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed, trying to put as much space between her and the doctors.

"It's just pain relief My Lady, please, we've not come to hurt you…" the doctor explained calmly. But Candy wouldn't listen.

"Where is my baby? What have you done with him?" she screamed.

The doctors still kept advancing on her, keen for her not to hurt herself in her panic. But it only seemed to anger her further.

"Candy, sit down."

"No!" Candy shouted.

"Sit down and we will explain."

At this Carrion followed them into the room. He had hoped that maybe they could reason with Candy, but they were getting nowhere.

"That is enough," he said. "Leave us."

The doctors looked at each other, and then filed out of the room obediently.

"Candy they removed the baby," Carrion said bluntly. "They thought you were going to die."

Candy shook her head. It was too much for her to comprehend.

"I don't understand. Is my baby OK?" Candy asked. She held her head as if it might some how help her to take in her surroundings. Why couldn't she remember what had happened? Why was she here?

"Yes."

"He's alive?"

"Yes. You were right, we had a son," Carrion said.

Candy sat down slowly, speechless. She was a mother, she had a baby. She had a son! But where was he? Where had they taken him? Had they really expected her to die? And if so, why? There was too much that Candy couldn't fit into place.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"You know where he is," Carrion replied. His voice was cold and harsh.

"I don't…" Candy said, and then her blood ran cold. Carrion was right, she did know where they had taken her baby, and yet she couldn't believe it. But surely Carrion would never have allowed his child to be taken away? No matter what.

"No," she muttered.

"She took him. Apparently you made a deal with her. There was noting I could do. Not when she told me what the terms of the deal were. I had wondered whom you had gotten that potion from. Now I don't need to wonder anymore."

Candy's blood turned cold and her stomach felt filled with lead. She felt sick, and more scared than she had ever felt in her whole life. She couldn't contain the horror at what she had done. Never had she considered the repercussions of her past actions. She had always thought something would come along to make it all right. She never considered that Carrion would not fight his grandmother for the child. But why would he? It wouldn't matter to him who raised the children. It all ended up the same in the end.

Candy covered her face in shame as she cried. She couldn't catch her breath and her sobs came in hurried gasps. For a while whilst she cried, she wished that she had just died like they'd all expected, and then she wouldn't be feeling this pain.

"You sold my son to my grandmother. What kind of upbringing do you think that our child will have?" Carrion demanded. "Is this what you wanted?"

"I never thought…"

"You never thought what? That you'd honour it? Or that I would let you? What did you think?" Carrion shouted. His emotion surprised her. "I'm warning you now Candy, that I am starting to get tired of you constant apologising. Why don't you just tell me the truth?"

Candy looked up at him with hatred.

"I never thought I'd get pregnant. That is what I thought!" Candy shouted back. "I had to drink that stuff! You don't know what it's like being married to you! I am just an ordinary girl. I couldn't cope with it all. And all that time there was always someone better, someone smarter, more beautiful, more suitable, waiting in the wings to take my place. Everyone wanted me out of the way, I hated it!"

Carrion stared at her.

"We've been through all of this," he said at last. Candy hung her head. She had nothing more to say to him. She had no more secrets to hide. There was nothing about her now that he didn't know. "Why couldn't you understand that it was you I wanted, all along? Why couldn't you just believe that?"

The past tense of his words did not go unnoticed by Candy, and she watched him walk out of the room as a man who had lost everything. She'd ruined everything.

She expected her life to be different now, but when he finally returned to the towers, nothing changed …

**A/N: **Ahh, I am so excited to be so near to the end! Many thanks to starlight2twilight, Royalraven007 and Emma for the reviews! Apologies for all the cliffhangers, but I hope the regular updates are making them less 'eek' :)


	40. The World Continues

**A/N: **I hope that I might be answering a few of those questions now, or at least lessening some of those 'ahhhs!' And I get to introduce some new/old characters. Thank you very much for the reviews guys, it means a lot!

**The World Continues**

Candy continued to live as before, helping out at parties and hosting dinners. She entertained whomever Carrion invited to the tower, and smiled at whomever she was eating dinner with. She wore beautiful dresses and jewels, and made sure that she was always well turned out. She was determined that everyone go away knowing that Lord Carrion's wife, was pretty, young and happy. Not the scared, ill little girl that they had heard so much about. It was the least that she could do.

Candy was determined that in her small way, she would do her best to rescue the reputation of her marriage, and save Carrion some of the hurtful remarks that she knew he had suffered as a result of her. He seemed to appreciate her efforts, but still he kept his distance from her.

Candy found it easier to pretend to be happy and content than looking into her own soul. She reminded herself frequently that she had not chosen this life to bring herself happiness. She'd done it for others, and in that respect she had been successful. But nothing that she told herself would fill the emptiness and the pain she felt at not being allowed to see her baby.

The love she had for her son; was like nothing she had ever known. She ached so much to hold him that every other worry or fear paled into the distance. Nothing would ever again be as important to her as her baby. Everything else was trivial. Nothing mattered anymore, and she had even lost her fear of Lord Carrion. She didn't even care if he still hated her, and as a result they managed to get along with each other well enough.

Christopher Carrion was true to his word, Candy never heard from or saw Miranda DeWinters again. Candy wondered whether Miranda had ever really wanted this life? Or had she just wanted it because it was unobtainable? Candy wasn't sure that if given the chance, she would choose this path again. She felt that something should have happened, or changed. But the world around her didn't seem interested in her self-destruction or her survival, at the end of the day, no matter how many newspapers her face sold; it was still just she and Carrion. And time just rolled by.

Eventually it seemed that Carrion had forgiven her. For him, nothing had really changed. He had his heir, and he was being raised with little incontinence to himself. His wife had decided to start looking after herself once more, becoming useful to him, and interesting to be with once more. But he had not rushed her. No matter what Candy might say, she was not as strong as she liked to make out, and he had learnt his lessons.

But life was not getting easier for Candy. There was only ever one thing on her mind, and a calculation in her every action. She never did anything without considering whether it would take her nearer or further to her goal. Despite the endless balls, dinners and functions, Candy was lonely. Eventually she could bear it no longer, and four months after the birth of her son, she finally confided in Malingo.

The extent of her planning and plotting surprised him. On the surface Candy seemed to be coping well, but just as before, a torment of emotions had been brewing underneath. She had a plan that had been a long time in formulation, but she had been missing the key parts for some time.

One particular ball a month ago had introduced her to someone who was considered undesirable to most of Midnight. How he had managed to receive an invite Candy didn't know. No one would speak to him, but Candy saw him as not a salesman, but as someone who might save her. He was a disinterested outside party, but with the money and the ability which would make him a useful ally.

Rojo Pixlar lived on an island called Pyon, night time land which he had long ago bought from the Carrion family. He had busied himself with his inventions until he had created his own futuristic City called Commexo. Pixlar called it the City of Light and Laughter. With it had come the Commexo Kid, a cartoon boy who sold everything from toilet cleaner to gourmet meals. He was now trying to expand his operation to the rest of the Abarat, and was especially keen to promote his electric light bulb into the night islands.

To Candy, the idea of having light at your fingertips, especially having been brought up in the daytime hours, seemed appealing. She did not like always having to wait for the lamps to heat up, and the constant walking around in shadows. But she also knew that Midnight was very resistant to change, since it's people were proud and liked to go their own way. Especially Lord Carrion, who abhorred Pixlar and everything that he stood for. So far he had rejected Pixlar's inventions, but still the inventor was relentless and persisted.

Candy discovered that Pixlar was trying to get another audience was Carrion, and therefore she had something to bargain with. Candy offered him the meeting, but on the condition that he do something for her. Taking a huge chance and trusting him to keep her confidence, Candy told him her troubles, and explained what help she needed.

"You expect me to smuggle you out of the island with a baby, just for an audience with Lord Carrion?" he had asked incredulously. "You must think I am crazy!"

People surrounded them, but no one was paying them any attention. No one wanted to interrupt Candy talking to this man, in the risk that they might have to talk to him also. The din of so many voices didn't make theirs stand out, and Candy knew this was the safest place to talk. Trying to find somewhere quiet would only make her meeting with Pixlar suspicious.

"I realise it's hardly a fair swap," Candy admitted. Which she also knew was a severe understatement. "But I will be in your debt. I don't know what will happen in the future, but I will still have Midnight's heir, and you might need me and him one day."

She was sure this would snare him. He seemed like an ambitious man, and he obviously wanted something from Midnight. Something he was being denied at the moment. Prehaps he had the vision to look far into the future?

Pixlar had stared at her. Candy didn't care how she fought anymore, fair or unfair, dirty or by the rules. She knew what she wanted, and no longer cared how she got there. Pixlar had considered the offer. What she was asking him for was insane. He considered asking her why she was running away, but knew she'd probably not share anymore of her reasons with him. She'd made her offer, he had to choose whether the risk was worth it.

It did not take him long to realise that having Carrion's bride and subsequently the next king of Midnight as allies, might be a useful card to play. Once he cracked Midnight, the rest of the night isles would be easy. Everything would fall into place. Besides, if he got it right, Candy's escape would never be traced to him anyway. It was high risk, but with potentially big rewards.

They'd shook hands, and so Candy had secured her escape route. But that was only half of what she wanted. The next part of the puzzle came from a chance conversation with another dinner party guest. A man had been complaining about his boat being stolen, and how he reckoned it was a man called John Mischief who had taken it. Some more investigating led Candy to understand that Mischief was a gentleman thief, who stole for fun. He was considered the best. Or at least he had never been caught.

That was all Candy needed to know. She instructed Malingo to find him, and after another month, Malingo returned.

"I've found him. It wasn't easy, but I got a message to him. He says he'll come."

So Candy waited, tense, as if with every moment they delayed the people around her would somehow sense what she was about to do. Then, at long length he came.

He was a strange looking creature, with two horns on his head. These sprouted out into little branches and upon these hung little heads. These he explained where his brothers, who all looked at Candy with wide little eyes. None of them spoke to her, even though she supposed they could, since they all had mouths, and seemed to be having silent conversations with each other with their expressions.

But John Mischief was a man with proper manners; he was not what Candy had been expecting. He bowed her, and all the little heads closed their eyes in respect.

"My lady," he said. "It is an honour."

"Welcome sir, please sit down," Candy said. She instructed Malingo to wait at the door, and alert them if anyone should be coming near. Candy didn't know how Mischief had managed to reach her rooms unnoticed, but it bode well for the future. "I have something I want you to do, and I am going to pay you well for your silence."

All the Mischief brother's smiled together.

"What can I do for you madam?"

"I want you to steal something precious for me. I want you to do it without anyone knowing and bring it to me," Candy instructed.

"Who am I stealing from?"

"Mater Motely," Candy replied. She didn't see the point of sugar coating the deal.

There was uproar from the brothers, as they all cried out their indignation.

"That's crazy!"

"She's crazy!"

"No way!"

"It's certain death!"

"The old hag?" John Mischief asked once the brothers had stopped shouting and started muttering. "Geeze Lady, you don't ask for much!"

"Will you do it?" Candy asked. She knew she was starting to sound desperate now, but this was so important to her. She had no one else to ask. She didn't know what she would do if Mischief refused.

"Are you going to tell me what I am stealing?" Mischief asked, folding his arms and leaning back in the chair. It must be something really expensive, or rare, or she wouldn't be so keen for him to agree.

"I want your word first," Candy insisted.

"I can't promise without knowing what I'm stealing, it might not even be possible. Besides if I'm caught it'll be certain death for me!" All the little heads nodded in agreement.

Candy bit her lip.

"I thought you were supposed to be the best?" she asked, with a tone that implied that for her, that title was still out to be proved.

"I am, but I'm not suicidal," Mischief replied. "You can trust me lady," he added after seeing her concerned face. "I won't betray your secrets, even if you pay me or not. I'm not exactly an old hag fan."

"She has my baby," Candy blurted out. "She took him when he was born. I've never even seen him. She's going to raise him as a monster, and I can't live with that. I want him back."

All the John brothers gaped at her. Partly from her admission and partly from the venom in which she said it.

"Lordy Lou," he whispered.

"Well, can you do it?" Candy asked. "You can do it, can't you?"

Mischief leant forward as if to conspire with her, and took her hand. She was shaking, ready to cry.

"I can steal anything Lady. But this … She'll never let it go. You'll never be safe from her. I can't help you there," he warned.

Candy moved away from him. She didn't need reminding. But every moment knowing that her child might be frightened, or in pain, or needing her, was more torture that anything Mater Motley could inflict.

"I don't need you to. I have an agreement with Rojo Pixlar," Candy said. She knew she was showing all her cards here, but she also knew that Mischief was not going to help her unless he knew the whole story. Candy didn't blame him, she was asking him to risk his life for her, and no matter what she paid him, that wasn't a small request.

"Geeze Lady, you sure like your deals with evil!"

"I know," Candy said nodding, "I'll be in Pixlar's debt, but it's the only way. She'll turn my son into something cruel and unhappy. Please, just help me."

The John brother's shook their heads in disbelief. Candy noticed how the little heads seemed to mirror what John Mischief did, as if to drive the point home.

"OK, this is one of the weirder requests, but I'll do it."

"Thank you."

"So, when do we do this?"

"Soon," Candy said. "But I have to contact Pixlar."

John Mischief nodded.

"Good, so I have some time," he said, his mind already starting to work. "Right, tell me what you already know…"


	41. Escape

**A/N: **Sorry this chapter took a little to get posted, but I wanted to add another scene. Thank you for reading everyone! x

**Escape**

Pixlar was back in Midnight. He was pitching his products to whoever would listen, which was not many. Most people avoided him. His bright appearance, and crisp white suit stood out against Midnight's more elaborate yet gloomy attire. He looked alien to them, and the sight of him in a room usually sent people walking in the other direction. But this only meant that it was easy to find him, since he seemed to be the topic of everyone's conversation.

Candy strolled through the busy corridors. Ever since she had been inviting people to dinners and parties, it seemed no one ever wanted to go home. They were constantly hanging around, always wanting to talk to her or ask her for favours. Mostly they just wanted her to put in a good word for them with Carrion. She smiled politely at them today and kept walking. It didn't take long to find Pixlar.

She caught his eye, and they stealthily disappeared from the crowd.

"How long are you here for?" Candy asked him as they walked together down a less crowded corridor. She knew people were still watching her, but this was as private as they were ever going to get. She needed an audience to stop rumours. Strolling down a populated corridor was hardly the affair of the century.

"Not long. Your husband only tolerates me because you asked him to. But I'm wasting my time here. No one will consider my inventions, I'm unfashionable," Pixlar said. He smiled as if he didn't care for popular opinion. "But you don't care about this, do you?"

He caught her arm, and stopped her from walking ahead. When he had first heard of Candy Quackenbush, she had not sounded very promising. Since the wedding had come as a surprise to the rest of the Abarat, the general opinion was, 'I'll believe it when I see it. Yet, months later and an heir in the royal cradle, people had to eat their words. But for the glamour of her new life, behind her expensive clothes and jewels, Pixlar could see the truth. She was not by any means an ordinary girl, but it did not mean that she was suited to this extraordinary life.

"You remember what you promised me?" Candy asked him. She moved out of his grasp, and stood just out of reach. She had a certain air about her that made Pixlar treat her with respect, and not just because of her new position in life. He regretted now his action of taking her arm, her poise made him aware of his own bad manners. "Well it's time," she continued. "When you go, I go."

It was not a request, but a statement that she did not require his opinion on. Pixlar stared at her. He had never thought that this would ever happen, he had thought Candy would talk herself out of it. Yet he had prepared, and he had what he thought was a failsafe method of getting her out of the city. But still, it was dangerous.

"Well, in that case," he said bowing to her. "I am at your command."

* * *

The plan was set, and now all Candy had to do was wait. She sent Malingo away with anything of value that she could find, her jewels and dresses. She had given him an address of where she expected to end up, so that he could pawn what was of value and meet her there. She'd packed her essential belongings and sent them away with Pixar. She was ready, resolved, but terrified.

All that remained was to eat one last meal with Carrion, knowing that all the while she sat with him, Mischief was somewhere in the tower, rescuing her baby. She was restless and couldn't pay attention to what Carrion was saying. It was something about Pixlar and something he'd discovered called Requiax. Candy just nodded whenever it seemed right that she do so, and agreed with whatever Carrion said. But her mind was miles away. Travelling the sea to her new home.

She was frightened. She had never lived on her own before. Never cared for a baby alone, or supported herself. She had no idea how she was going to manage. Especially when the whole of the Abarat was going to be on the lookout for her. But she had made it through worse already.

A strange thought occurred to her as she sat before her untouched food. If Miranda had only waited, she would have gotten everything she had wanted without having to lift a finger. Candy was successfully destroying herself as time went on.

Yet, even though she knew Carrion would try to stop her, she still wanted to tell him everything. He was the only person who would ever understand her after the journey they had been on together. But even though he might understand and maybe even sympathise with the longing for her child, Candy also knew that he would never let her just walk out of his life. He had fought too hard to keep her here. He could have discarded her at any point, but he hadn't. He persisted in keeping her, no matter what she did to him.

Candy suspected that he had begun to care for her more than he had ever expected to. And if she was honest with herself, she knew she was going to miss him as well. She didn't feel half as liberated as she had expected to feel at the thought of leaving him behind, just a regret for everything that had happened and what could it have been.

But there was no other option. She couldn't stay and live a lie for a life. Her heart could not take any more pain, and cried too many tears. It was not only her that suffered here. Carrion was bound up in her misery, unable to be free of the pain he caused her, or the entrapment she felt. There would be no happiness for either of them here. They cared about each other too much to be indifferent to each other's suffering.

Yet, when the time came to leave, Candy looked back up at the towers with mixed feelings.

* * *

Mischief rounded a corner. He had been counting the servants in and out of the doors. This was a backstairs corridor, and over the time he had spend waiting, he had families himself with the servants' routines. Once he was sure no one else would be walking towards him, he slipped out of his hiding place and started down the hall.

His heart was in his mouth. This part of the tower was darker than the rest. It had a depressing atmosphere about it. He felt as if there were eyes on him, but every which way he and his bothers looked, they were alone. But a few steps down the hall and he was slammed into the wall. His brothers started yelling, but Mischief's head was ringing and his vision blurred. He felt himself being dragged somewhere before he began to be aware of what was around him once more.

"I've been looking for you."

Mischief froze. He knew that voice. It was one he had hoped he would never ever hear. Christopher Carrion towered above him. He seemed to fill the room with his presence, and Mischief had to stop himself from trembling.

"You have been stealing from me for years," Carrion continued. "But today you were reckless… you came back. Now, why would you do that?"

Mischief didn't reply. What could have said even if he could manage some syllables?

"I know you have met my wife," he said. "She wants you to steal something doesn't she?"

Mischief nodded.

"Y-yes, she does."

"And what might that be?" Carrion asked.

Mischief knew immediately that Carrion knew exactly what he was here for, and what he was trying to steal. But what Mischief wasn't sure, was whether he should admit the truth or lie. What did Carrion want to hear? The look in Carrion's eyes told Mischief not to bother lying.

"Your son," he whispered.

"Do you think I'm just going to let you leave?"

Mischief stared at him. Suddenly Carrion didn't seem so imposing or frightening. He straightened up and looked the taller man in the eye.

"No I don't," Mischief answered. "That's why she is running away."

There was silence. They looked at each other for a long time, before Carrion stepped away. He held the door open.

"Get caught and I will kill you," was all he said, before he left Mischief in the dark and empty room.

Mischief didn't know why Carrion had let him go. Maybe he hadn't believed him. Or maybe he knew something Mischief didn't? But whatever the reason, he'd been given a second chance, and he wasn't going to get caught again.

* * *

Candy left the tower dressed as a boy. She scraped her hair back off of her face and hid it under a hat. She kept her clothes dull and old looking, so that no one would approach her, especially not beggars or pickpockets. The poorer she looked the more she blended. As casually as she could she made her way towards Pixlar's flying machine. Her heart was in her mouth as she looked up at the contraption. How it made it off the ground Candy didn't know. Pixlar was not a magician. He was an inventor.

She could see him, up on the top of his machine, organising the 'crew'. Looking around nervously, Candy stepped forward and crept into the cargo hold. All the time sure that someone was going to recognise her face, and stop her. But she tried to remind herself, that no one ever took much notice of her face; they were always looking at the jewels and her luxurious clothes.

Once inside and in the dark, she breathed a sigh of relief, the first danger was passed. But there were still so many more to come. She looked around, and as her eyes adjusted she saw a figure standing in the shadows. She jumped, but the man held up his hands.

"Candy, it's me."

"Malingo?" Candy asked, peering into the darkness. "Is it really you?"

He stepped forward and lifted up his hat.

"Taped my ears down," he explained. "Gloves, shoes, face paint … I'm surprised you recognised me at all. I hardly know myself!"

"It's a great disguise, but did…"

"Here!" a voice called cutting her off. It was Mischief; he was hiding in one of the large crates at the back of the room, which had been hauled onboard with some of the others. "We're going to be delivered. He already had a plan to hid Malingo. He's thought of everything."

"This is more than I expected," Candy said as she walked forward.

In Mischief's arms lay a baby. Bigger than Candy had been expecting. His face was pale, with full cheeks and a tiny mouth. His eyes were closed, but his little hands flexed as if he sensed she was near.

Candy stared at him feeling stunned. He was more perfect than she could have ever imagined. Too afraid to even breathe in case this was a dream, Candy watched him, unable to move.

"They called him Thomas," Mischief said moving the blankets away from the baby's face. "He kind of looks like a Tommy, don't you think?"

"He's perfect," Candy whispered. "Thank you, both of you."

Mischief grinned.

"Come on, climb on in girl and hold him."

Nervously Candy climbed in, her heart hammering. She held out her hands for him, and Mischief carefully handed over her baby. He was heavier than Candy expected, but was warm and soft. He curled towards her as she held him to her chest, and his little legs stretched under his blankets.

"Had to give him something to make him sleep," Mischief confessed sadly. "He would have given us away. If he stirs again, we'll have to give him some more. It's a long journey before we'll be safe."

Candy nodded.

"I understand," she said.

"I shall check the cargo, then we'll be on our way!" Pixlar shouted from the top deck.

Malingo jumped into the crate also, ready to slam on the lid, but Pixlar was alone.

"All OK?" he asked into the darkness.

"Yes," Candy replied.

"We're going straight to Pyon. You need to stay in the box. It will be offloaded and delivered to your new home. It won't be too long a journey, but I'm afraid it still won't be very comfortable."

"That's great, thank you," Candy said.

"Right, well, good luck."

The door to the top deck shut, and the four of them were left alone. The journey to Pyon was smooth. The flying machine whirred along, and Malingo and Mischief passed the time playing cards on the bottom of the crate. Candy didn't feel the time pass, she was lost in baby Tom's face. They had landed before she knew it, and suddenly the crate swung to the side, and it was lifted unsteadily into the air.

Candy gasped and braced herself. She was sure that they were about to fall from a great height, but instead they landed gently, sooner than expected. Then they were moving again. They appeared to have been placed on a cart of some kind, the rumbling and jolting, told them that they where travelling by road.

"Where do you think we are going?" Candy asked. She tried to look for a gap in the wood of the crate, but there was nothing.

"To the coast I think," Malingo said. "From the address you gave me, I think it was near a beach."

Candy leant her head against the side of the crate and closed her eyes.

"Wherever we end up, we can't stay there long," Candy said. "Pixlar's kept his words so far, but I don't want him knowing where I am. I don't want to take the chance."

Malingo squeezed her hand tightly in support, but he was just as nervous. He was finding it hard to believe what they had just done. Candy had probably been missed by now and the whole of Midnight was probably looking for her.

Candy hugged baby Tom tightly and tried to relax. There was nothing more that she could do until the crate stopped moving. She just had to wait. But eventually the crate stopped moving, and they all braced themselves as they were offloaded and dropped roughly on the ground.

"What now?" someone asked.

"Dunno. We were just supposed to leave it here."

"But no one's here."

"Not my problem. I've done what I've been paid for. Just leave the letter here, there is a cottage up there, if they want it they can come down and get it."

The occupants of the box stayed silent. Once they started rumbling away, they pushed the lid open and looked out. There was nothing before them but ocean, and behind them only a dirt track. But like the drivers had pointed out, there was a cottage not far away on the hill. But there was no other civilization in sight.

As they helped Candy out of the crate, Malingo grabbed the letter and opened it for her. It was from Pixlar.

"The cottage on the hill is yours. You'll find the key in the red flowerpot. The town is to the north. Stay as long as you need. Pixlar," Candy read.

"Well," Mischief said. "Let's go."

Apparently Mischief had decided to stay and over the next few weeks Candy was glad of his help. For someone so distinctive looking, he managed to sneak through the town finding everything that they needed, and eventually after a while, he found what Candy was looking for. Passage to another hour and a new life.

"We're going to the Nonce. We leave tomorrow," he said, holding out the tickets.


	42. The Final Chapter The Nonce

**The Final Chapter**

**The Nonce**

With Candy's money, they rented a house hidden away from the rest of the small town. Mischief stayed with them for a short time, before he took his payment and left them. He was ready to pursue his next treasure and adventure and was not a man to be content in the same place for too long. The afternoon light of the Nonce suited Candy well and she found herself a job selling drinks and snacks to tourists. They continued on in this fashion for quite some time, until it almost became normal, and they stopped looking over their shoulders every moment.

Candy had been surprised to find that apparently the ruined church and the dragon skeleton was a great attraction. She tried not to think of the morbidity of selling refreshments to visitors, who had some to see where her husband's first love had died. Especially since it was a fair bet to assume she'd be the next to be dispatched. All it took was for one person to recognise her and report back to Carrion and she'd either be poisoned or stabbed in her sleep. Would people make a special trip to come and see where she had been murdered too? Maybe they'd set up a lemonade stand on her front porch and charge everyone an entrance fee.

Her time in Midnight became not a memory, but a dream. Had she really had servants? What had she used them for? She had gotten so used to working and looking after her home, that she couldn't imagine what she had done with her time before. No wonder she had gone crazy, staring at walls all day and trying to make conversation with people she disliked. The only thing that called her mind back to Midnight was the thoughts of Carrion, who invaded her mind frequently. She wished she had had the courage to say something to him before she had left. But what could she say that wouldn't be a lie? I'll miss you? There was very little she missed, but still her heart couldn't let him go. He was with her in every moment, and it hurt to look back and remember the things that she had done to him, and him to her.

Looking after her son ceased being scary, especially since there was no one looking over her shoulder making sure she did everything right or picking up her mistakes. Neither Malingo nor Mischief had anymore experience that her, so they all made it up together. With Malingo's help tried not to dwell on her fears, and started to remember whom she was.

Baby Tommy started to sit up unaided, and before long he was moving around, holding on to furniture and trying to stand. He would look up at her and try out new sounds, trying to form his first words, which her mostly gurgles and squeaks. Candy found herself losing track of time in this small place, but it was now just over ten months since her baby was born. Another month of calm passed for them all, but at then end of it a visitor arrived on the island for her.

Candy had opened the door without thinking and now stood dumbfounded.

"Ah, there are you are. You were difficult to find."

Letheo smiled as he stood on the doorstep. He held out a bunch of flowers as a peace offering. Candy took them automatically, but her wary stare never wavered. She held the bunch of daisies and felt as if she had just fallen off the edge of a cliff. Her heart had skipped a beat and now was furiously trying to catch up. She'd forgotten how to breathe, and her mind was racing. She was picturing all the ways this situation could go, and nothing was good.

"I haven't come to hurt you," Letheo said, not liking the frightened way in which she looked at him. "I'm just visiting." But still her face wore a look of complete horror upon it. He didn't understand what the matter was, surely she couldn't believe that he was here to harm her?

Candy hesitantly opened the door and let him in. She felt herself moving, but no longer knew what she was doing. She was trying to plan an escape, but he would be faster than her, and she would never leave Tom behind. She was trapped, and there was nowhere for her to escape to.

Tom was playing on the lounge room floor, his little toys spread out on the rug around him. He looked up at Letheo with his big blue eyes and smiled. He pushed a bug toy across the rug and picked it up with a clumsy hand and held it up for Letheo to see. The smile on his face showing none of his mother's fear.

"What do you want?" Candy asked, standing in between her son and Letheo.

"Obviously to see how you are," Letheo said. "You've been missed. Everyone thought you'd been kidnapped. But when no ransom note came, I guessed you'd run away. I don't know what Lord Carrion thought; he didn't look for you very hard, just sent me to track you. Motley was pretty mad at him."

"Good guess," Candy said icily. But the fact that Carrion hadn't organised a Abarat wide search for her was strange. She dreaded to think what Motley had done to him, had she thought Carrion was in on her escape? Candy bit her lip. Had Carrion known all along what she had be planning? Had he known where she was all this time? But why send Letheo now? What had happened?

"He's grown," Letheo said looking down at the baby.

"Yes," Candy replied shortly.

"Candy you can stop looking at me like that," Letheo said. "I've never hurt you, have I?"

Candy turned and picked Tom up. He started to struggle to reach down towards his toys. She didn't like all this new information. All this time she been under the impression that she had been hiding, when it seemed Carrion had just be letting her run. Why would he do that?

"Just leave Letheo," Candy said. She didn't want to think about this anymore. Her world was falling apart again, and this scenario was not something she had planned for, or even imagined.

"You can't run now. He knows where you are. He's known for a long time," Letheo said.

Still Candy's face remained stony. She didn't care. She didn't trust anything he said. She stared at him until he finally left, and then she began packing. But with every item she threw into her bag, Candy realised it was pointless, and soon gave up and sat down. She felt like crying, but there was no point. Malingo would be back shortly and then she could tell him everything. Letheo was right, there was nowhere else for her to run to, or anyone else to help her. She decided there was nothing to be done but to stay where she was, and face the consequences of her actions, whatever those might be.

* * *

The following day Candy was in the garden. The sun was glowing the sky pink and in the air was filled with sweet smelling pollen. She was dozing, listening to Malingo playing with Tom, looking for bugs in the hedgerow. Malingo was naming al the creature by their colours, the blue one, the yellow bug, the green moth, when suddenly the tone of his voice changed as he called her name.

Walking up the path was Christopher Carrion. He looked strange and at odds with the setting around him. Candy sat up alert. He was different to what she remembered. He was no longer dressed in his imposing Midnight attire, but was wearing beige trousers and a crisp blue shirt. Candy thought he looked as if he'd been on holiday, which she quickly dismissed as an absurd thought. Clearly he hadn't been missing her that much.

He looked up at her as he neared, but still he was an imposing figure. Even without his masses of black and his collar of Nightmares. Even the birds in the sky had gone quiet.

"Malingo," Candy said standing up and smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress. "Take Tom indoors." Now that Carrion was here, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world that he should be. Candy was alarmed to find that she felt as if this place had just won his blessing, and that she didn't need to hide from him anymore.

Carrion stared at his son with fascination, but said nothing as Malingo took him indoors.

"Hello Candy," Carrion said at last.

"My Lord," Candy replied. She didn't curtsy, since the whole situation felt odd.

"This is a nice place to live," Carrion said looking around. "Lots of fresh air for our boy."

Candy nodded, feeling her heart in her mouth. She didn't know if he was angry or not. Were they really going to make small talk and avoid the big issues? Surely Carrion should be demanding what the hell she had been thinking by now? She didn't think she'd be just sitting down, helping herself to lemonade if she had been in his shoes. But yet the only one who seemed uncomfortable here seemed to be her.

They sat in silence for a long time, listening to the bugs making creaking noises in the bushes. Carrion clearly enjoyed his drink, since he helped himself to more. Candy stared at him, thinking he looked like he ought to be sailing around some tropical island on a jolly; surely no one was this calm?

"You could have written to me," Carrion said at last. But still there was no anger in his voice.

"And say what?" Candy asked, turning to face him. "Hey Christopher, I stole your son, and am living it up on the beach?"

He smirked at her. He'd missed her sarcastic humour, and her direct way of speaking.

"Something like that," he said.

Candy snorted.

"At least I'd have known you were alive," Carrion insisted.

Candy looked away. She had thought many times about writing to him, but had never found the courage. What would she had said?

"You would have found me sooner if I had written."

"I found you a long time ago," Carrion corrected her. "But I let you be. I suppose you haven't been reading the papers? Maybe you wouldn't be looking at me in that scared little girl way if you had. And maybe if you have asked Mischief what had happened in Midnight the night you left, you wouldn't have been so alarmed when Letheo arrived."

Candy looked at him quizzically. What had been going on whilst she was hiding? And what the heck did Mischief have to do with it? Why did everyone else always know more that she did?

"No, there are no papers here," she replied. She wished he'd just stop talking in riddles and just tell her something straightforward. But for that to happen then she would have to actually ask him a question.

"I didn't contact you, because I didn't want Motley to find you. Not while I was out of Midnight. We have broken our allegiance. We are no longer allies," Carrion explained. "She wanted me to return our child, but I refused. Which is why I allowed that thief to smuggle him out of Midnight. I had been considering the same thing myself. You should have confided in me."

Candy gaped at him.

"What?" Candy demanded. Her brain could not even process this. It was too much. Carrion had been trying to save their child too? But why hadn't he confided in her? Then Candy thought back to her behaviour, maybe she had done too good a job at convincing him that she was OK. Maybe he thought she hadn't cared.

"I am now ruling from the Isle of Black Egg. I am trying to open negotiations with the day islands, but so far, I have had no luck. Incidentally, how did you get out of Midnight?"

Candy gave up trying to hide her secrets. What did it matter?

"Pixlar," she replied. "He smuggled us all out."

"Ah, Pixlar. I questioned him, but he gave me nothing. No one saw anything. He did it well."

The way Carrion spoke, it was if it had all be a joke. He didn't seem angry that Candy had run away. In fact it seemed like she had created one less problem for him. He'd started a war at home, and once he had known she was safe and away, he hadn't wanted to interfere with her. But why choose now to appear to her? Did it mean he wanted her to go back with him?

"Did you want to come in? Thomas is inside. And there is something to eat if you want it?" Candy offered. Since they were not going to be fighting, there seemed nothing left to do but offer him her home. But Carrion shook his head.

"Maybe tomorrow. I will come again tomorrow."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Carrion visited Candy in her little house. He sat quietly and let Tom bring his toys to him and get used to his presence. He admired all the toys as he was instructed to by the little boy, who placed them one at a time in his lap. Carrion also helped Tom spread them all out on the floor, which seemed to annoy Candy who was forever trying to tidy up after her boy.

Carrion also liked to watch Candy at work in her home. Cutting up vegetables in her kitchen, washing her clothes and tidying the house. He sat and watched her day after day, only speaking when she wanted to. She told him about her adventures, how she had left Midnight and why. She told him all about Tom, and how much he'd learnt. And listed all his favourite foods, his favourite games, and songs.

Candy looked happy. Carrion realised how much Midnight had oppressed her, and knew that he could never expect her to live that way again. They needed their own home, away from his business, and away from the ceremony and watchful eyes. Candy was not someone who enjoyed being waited upon, she liked to look after herself.

In return Carrion told her of his own plans, to regain control of Midnight and expand his territories. He left the part about the Sacbrood out of the equation. He told her that he wanted to remove his grandmother from power, and start the reforms that John DeWinters had imagined. Candy listened with great interest. She knew that behind his inspiring vision would be a lot of bloodshed, if Motley decided to fight him.

He explained that he needed her to come with him, to the council of day and support him. He knew it would soften his image to have a wife and child by his side. With Candy here he might not appear so threatening.

Suddenly Candy's options changed again. She could either go with Carrion, help him gain the support of the days islands, or stay here and hope that Carrion won and Motley never found her. As for Carrion, he wanted to recruit the day first. Motley had her stitchlings, Pixlar his requiax and Carrion his Sacbrood. The day after all, didn't stand a chance, they had to side with someone.

Candy realised she had never really had a choice. She was going to leave with Carrion since he was her safest option. He had travelled miles to find her, and he had patiently waited for her to agree to come with him, rather than forcing her. He needed her help, and he still wanted her company, and Candy realised that she felt rather proud that it was her out of so many.

But how this would all end, Candy didn't know. All she did know was that she and Carrion were about to start all over again. She had a feeling that this was to be the pattern for the rest of their lives. In the end, Carrion had always been her safest option.

**End**

**Author's Note**: Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story, it has meant so much! I tried not to shy away for writing the issues that this fic brought up. I hope that no one was offended by anything in this story, since there were quite a few depressing ideas.

I am so looking forward to Abarat 3, due to come out later this year, so we can find out how the story continues. I am going to say that this is end of part one, so may be continued in the future if the follow Abarat books allow for it. Thank you again everyone!


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